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Local firm gets WHO nod to manufacture ARVs
2008-03-13 09:36:47
By Correspondent Rosemary Mirondo
American Ambassador to Tanzania Mark Green yesterday inspected a factory, Zenufa Laboratories Ltd, in Dar es Salaam currently manufacturing anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs on trial basis.
Green visited the factory during a brief tour viewed as part of the US government`s sustained support in combating HIV/Aids in the country.
He went to the factory within a month after US President George Bush came to the country for a state visit, where he touted Washington\'s efforts to fight the pandemic, among other things.
Zenufa managing director Kamal Kotecha told ambassador Green that apart from producing ARVs on trial basis for the local market, his factory was also manufacturing other drugs for treating human beings.
He told the American envoy that under the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), they were commissioned, qualified and validated in June, last year, and began making trials of ARV production in the month of July, last year.
Giving details, Kotecha said currently they were making trials of four combinations of ARV drugs with the expertise of a doctor and within six months of stability, the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) would approve them before they were released to the market.
The four combinations under trial are Lamivudine, Stavudine, Zidovudine and Lamivudinet, according to the MD.
Green said in his remarks that he was happy to learn that Tanzania had world-class pharmaceutical industries capable of manufacturing drugs of high quality that can be used to save many lives in the country.
The American envoy said the factory would not only save lives, but also create many jobs locally.
The factory is situated along Pugu road in Dar es Salaam and cost an estimated USD11m investment.
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