Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Wednesday called on the generic medicine industry to invest more in researching the long-term effects of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
He said HIV/Aids was a syndrome that in some cases required people to already start taking medication in their 20s.
That meant some patients could end up using the drug for as long as 50 years.
Motsoaledi expressed concern about the unknown side effects of such long exposure to the drugs.
”Should the generic industry not be investing more in post-marketing? It is not an additional expenditure but an investment,” he said.
Motsoaledi made the remark in a speech read out on his behalf by Anban Pillay, chief director of financial planning at the Health Ministry, at a conference on generic medicine in Sandton, Johannesburg.
The minister lamented the triple burden of disease on South Africa and said the worldwide outbreak of swine flu was making matters worse.
”The H1N1 virus adds to this [burden],” said Motsoaledi.
The triple burden of disease referred to communicable diseases, chronic diseases, and violence and injuries.
He said all South Africans had the right to quality healthcare. South Africans had become too used to seeing long medicine queues at state hospitals.
”Every person must have access to essential medicine,” the minister said.
Motsoaledi was scheduled to address the conference himself but cancelled late on Tuesday night due to an extended Cabinet meeting.
Another conference on generic medicine was being hosted in Sun City this week.
At the latter event, Vikash Salig, CEO of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, warned against lower-grade or incorrect concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredients in generic medicine.
He said the Medicines Control Council (MCC) recently reported on this happening, referring specifically to anti-tuberculosis drugs used in the public sector.
”Generic medicines are a safe and effective alternative to originator drugs for South Africa,” said Salig.
”The incorrect use of raw materials has been addressed by the MCC. All companies (both generic and innovator) have to provide comprehensive documentation when changing a source of raw material.” — Sapa