Kenya licensed to manufacture monthly HIV prevention pill

Add as a preferred source on Google An investigational monthly HIV prevention pill is still in late-stage trials. Kenya's Universal Corporation holds a royalty-free licence to manufacture a generic if the product is approved. | Photo: stock By Phabian Muok Editor | Civil Engineer

Kenya has been granted a licence to manufacture a monthly HIV prevention pill for African markets, making it one of three countries on the continent named to produce the drug.

Merck announced on Friday that it would license seven generic drugmakers to produce a low‑cost version of the investigational drug alimatravir. Universal Corporation, a Kenyan firm that operates a WHO‑prequalified plant, is one of the three African manufacturers included; Uganda's Quality Chemical Industries Limited and South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare are the other two.