South Africa to Make Active ARV Ingredients

South Africa will establish its first pharmaceutical plant to manufacture the main chemicals used in HIV drugs in an effort to lower the prices of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, Reuters reports.

The $211 million joint venture with Swiss chemical and biotechnology company Lonza Group will enable the country to produce Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), components that account for about 75 percent of the finished drug dosage. The plant is a step toward producing ARVs in the country by 2016 to support the nearly 5.7 million people with HIV in South Africa.

To read the Reuters article, visit: http://news.yahoo.com/africa-swiss-firm-lonza-211-mln-drug-jv-112441980.html.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.

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