South Africa is poised to become a manufacturing hub for an affordable version of the groundbreaking HIV-prevention drug CAB-LA (cabotegravir long-acting), reports have indicated.
The country will prospectively provide access to the drug to millions of people in a region that accounts for nearly two-thirds of new HIV infections globally, according to the World Health Organization.
The medication will be produced by Cipla Limited, a leading Indian multinational pharmaceutical company, at its plants in either Benoni or Durban.
The move reflects a growing recognition of the urgent need to address the staggering rates of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa, where access to critical medications can be limited by high costs and logistical challenges.
Researchers have demonstrated that the medication lowers the likelihood of catching the virus through intercourse and is supposed to stop HIV from entering cells, significantly decreasing the risk of infection.
Three companies, Aurobindo, Cipla, and Viatris, inked sublicense agreements in March, according to the drug's creators, Viiv Healthcare and the United Nations-backed public health nonprofit Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), to make the generic version.
According to the MPP, the chosen firms will be able to create and provide generic versions in 90 countries "subject to required regulatory approvals being obtained."
The MPP also stated that the medication is given as an injection six times a year and is started with a single 600mg (3ml) shot given to an individual two months in a row apart. However, in order to receive it, a person must first have a negative HIV-1 test.