Aspen Pharmacare, Africa’s biggest drugmaker, is in talks with government to fast-track the production of certain key medicines so enough are available to treat the sick, chief executive Stephen Saad said.
The initiatives follow President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision on March 15 to ban travellers from high-risk countries, close schools and restrict people from gathering in large groups to contain the virus. “Government has been very proactive and we are focused on supply continuity, which is critical,” said Saad. “Most of our factories are sterile factories, so in that sense you are probably safer at work.”
“You are starting to see a change in the mix of anaesthetics needed, to more muscle-relaxant type anaesthetics for respiratory issues,” Saad said. “At the same time you’ve got to try get stock through closed borders. The biggest problem is logistics.”
Even Aspen depends on China for some drugs