Anti-AIDS drugs business booming - Aspen

SOUTH AFRICA: Anti-AIDS drugs business booming - Aspen

JOHANNESBURG, 26 Aug 2005 (PLUSNEWS) - South African generic drug firm Aspen Pharmacare says anti-AIDS drugs are now a bigger part of the company's production.

Aspen CEO Stephen Saad told the local Business Day newspaper that about half their local antiretroviral (ARV) sales were to the private sector, but government-funded volumes were expected to rise because more public hospitals and clinics were beginning to treat patients.

Aspen was awarded most of the government contracts to provide generic ARVs, as part of the official HIV/AIDS treatment plan that aims to provide drugs to 1.2 million HIV-positive people at low or no cost by 2008.

Nigeria and Uganda have also placed orders for Aspen drugs for their own anti-AIDS treatment programmes.

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