Kenyan Universal Corporation begins producing generic HIV medicine based on Roche’s saquinavir
Kenyan Universal Corporation begins producing generic HIV medicine based on Roche’s saquinavir
26/09/2006
Universal Corporation Ltd. starts producing Roche’s HIV medicine saquinavir. This technology transfer is part of Roche’s AIDS Technology Transfer launched in January 2006.
Universal Corporation Ltd., an investee company of Finnfund, is one of the three companies starting to produce Roche’s HIV medicine saquinavir. This technology transfer is part of Roche’s AIDS Technology Transfer Initiative which was launched in January 2006.
The companies chosen to take part in the Initiative will not be required to pay licensing fees and will receive technical support from Roche free of charge. Roche’s experts will work onsite at the manufacturing facilities in Africa.
The other two companies are South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare and Cosmos Limited in Kenya. Roche will provide these companies with the technical expertise to manufacture generic HIV medicine, based upon the processes to produce saquinavir. The companies will be able to produce saquinavir for Kenya, South Africa, and the least developed countries of sub-Saharan Africa (LDC countries). 64% of all people with HIV live in this area.
Roche's confidence in UCL much appreciated
“Roche’s representatives inspected our manufacturing facilities and we are now looking forward to beginning the process most likely in the autumn. We are very pleased with the confidence Roche has in Universal Corporation”, said Mr Pentti Keskitalo, Director of Universal Corporation.
“No new production lines are needed for the production of saquinavir. With Roche’s assistance we will also be able to extend and strengthen our manufacturing processes”, he notes.
"Faster progress in getting generic HIV drugs to Africa is desperately needed. This is really good news for hundreds of thousands of HIV positive Africans and their children, many of whom now may avoid joining the ranks of the aids orphans. And the fact that UCL was among the first companies approved by Roche to produce the generic drug based on their product, is a major recognition to the dedicated work Pentti Keskitalo and his partners Palu and Raju Dhanani have done to put in place high-quality pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa. We are proud to be a financier to this kind of activity", says Finnfund's senior investment manager Siv Ahlberg, who is responsible for Finnfund's financing for UCL.
More details about the Roche's AIDS Technology Transfer Initiative here.
Read more about the Universal Corporation at our website.
For further information at Finnfund please contact Ms Siv Ahlberg, Senior Investment Manager, tel. +358 9 3484 3329 or by email siv.ahlberg(at)finnfund.fi
