The Pharmaceuticals community of South Africa

Confusion over SA, Swiss drugs deal

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:00:00 +0200

It was unclear if government had formed a R1.6bn deal with Swiss pharmaceutical giant Lonza to establish the manufacturing of critical drug components, as the company issued a statement saying that talks were still at an early stage.
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Pharmaceutical giant recalls painkiller, Excedrin in SA

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:18:00 +0200

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has, as a precautionary measure, recalled the painkiller Excedrin in South Africa.
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Gauteng govt 'committed to correct spending of public funds'

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:17:00 +0200

The Gauteng Provincial Government says it has put in place measures to ensure the correct spending of public monies. "We are committed to a clean audit. We are committed to spending resources in a manner we can account for," Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane said yesterday, 23 January 2012.
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Court ruling may spell end of generic giant's product

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:40:00 +0200

Aspen registered its Andosept trademark in 2005 and launched a pharyngeal product under that name in 2008, in direct competition with the market-leading product Andolex. The Andosept product was placed on pharmacy shelves in packaging similar to that used for Andolex.
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Skin care market in Africa, Middle East to grow

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:18:00 +0200

With opportunities in developed markets slowly drying up, international players in the skin care market are likely to make moves to increase their share of sales in Africa and the Middle East where growth forecasts are strong, a research report has predicted.
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'Axing' time for ASA?

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:36:00 +0200

Industry bodies are withdrawing levies and the CPA is putting added pressure on the industry... and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the regulatory body that protects consumers from unethical and misleading marketing and referees disputes between advertisers, is facing a funding crisis that could cripple its activities. Acts that are relevant to the ASA include, but are not restricted to: health, gambling, communciations, liquor, roads, and even lotteries.
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Litha Healthcare Group acquires OTC Pharma South Africa

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:18:00 +0200

Litha Healthcare Group has purchased the South African subsidiary of Dutch health and wellness company, OTC Pharma International, OTC Pharma South Africa, which will see the healthcare group increase its portfolio in the natural health market.
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New face of drug dependence: spotting and dealing with opioid addiction

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:59:00 +0200

Despite public perceptions that prescription drugs are in some way different to and less dangerous to use than illicit narcotics, the fact is that during 2007, overdoses of opioids (synthetic versions of opium i.e. codeine-like medication) caused more deaths in the USA* than heroin and cocaine combined. Costs of prescription opioid abuse represent a substantial and growing economic burden for society and the workplace. So what are the signs of opioid dependence - and how can it be tackled in order to treat the condition and transform the life of the person concerned, to the benefit of both employer and employee?
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Gauteng Health Department commits to paying suppliers

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 13:26:00 +0200

The Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development has noted a statement issued earlier this week by SAMED stating that it owes huge amounts of money to suppliers and has in turn acknowledged that it does carry these debts.
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Adcock still awaiting response from DoH on DPP issue

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:59:00 +0200

Pharmaceutical group Adcock Ingram has had no response yet to its request to the Department of Health to expedite its appeal committee process of the Medicines Control Council into the review of products containing the analgesic Dextropropoxyphene (DPP), the group's CEO Dr Jonathan Louw, confirmed on Tuesday.
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