Govt awards antiretroviral tender to Cipla

JSE-listed pharmaceutical company, Cipla Medpro SA, announced in a press release that it has been awarded an antiretroviral (ARV) tender from government worth a combined value of approximately R1.448b for a two year period commencing 1 January 2013, Health24 reports.

This more than doubles on the company's 2010 to 2012 ARV R633m tender. Altogether, tender business between the government and Cipla Medpro will exceed R2bn for the next two years.

Cipla Medpro SA Deputy CEO, Dr Skhumbuzo Ngozwana, believes that the company, in partnership with government and other stakeholders, will play a significant role in contributing to the decrease of HIV infections across the country through "patient education, training healthcare workers to enable them to deliver better care and (providing) high quality, affordable medicines to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS infections."

The tender will procure ARV treatment for what is now the world's largest HIV treatment programme, with over 1.7 million people on treatment in South Africa Health24 reports.

Read the full article on www.health24.com.