Imagine a world plagued with diseases that spread rapidly and indiscriminately, impacting the wellbeing and livelihoods of millions. The world witnessed this first-hand with the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, with many still reeling in the wake of the pandemic.
The urgent need to address the outbreak with a vaccine proved that the role of the innovative pharmaceutical industry is more important now than ever – not only to address emerging diseases, global health threats, and their knock-on economic impact, but also to offer effective treatments for those who are affected by diseases that are currently incurable.
The South African pharmaceutical landscape has undergone significant changes over the past decade. In 2013, generic medicines accounted for nearly 63% of the private pharmaceutical market and constituted 80% of government’s pharmaceutical purchases1. During that time, local pharmaceutical manufacturers focused heavily on generic medicine production, often relying on imports to facilitate this.
Initiated in April 2013 and formed following the integration of research-based pharmaceutical companies that belonged to Innovative Medicines SA (IMSA) and the Pharmaceutical Industry Association of South Africa (PIASA), the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association of South Africa (IPASA) has been at the forefront of changing the country’s innovative pharmaceutical industry for the advancement of both manufacturers and the South African people.
The formation of IPASA created a single, unified, and credible voice for like-minded pharmaceutical companies operating in South Africa, all intent on exploring, developing, and bringing innovative, quality medicines to the South African market.
We believe in the power of partnerships to accomplish our goals, and together with 28 leading innovative pharmaceutical member companies, IPASA has made significant strides in helping transform the South African healthcare sector.
Several key partnerships over the past decade have been instrumental in fostering relationships between government and pharmaceutical stakeholders. Most noteworthy are IPASA’s influence on activities initiated by the Department of Health and the Department of Trade Industry and Competition, as well as the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IPASA and the Department of Science and Innovation and the South African Medical Research Council.
With our sights firmly set on earning our seat around the policy-making table and being a trusted industry advisor and partner to government entities, we intend to continue our role in championing sustainable innovation in novel pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices.
REFERENCE:
Pharmaceutical Industry: Department of Health & DTI briefing [Internet]. [cited 2023 Aug 28].
Available from:
https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/24697/#:~:text=or%20export%20pharmaceuticals.-,Domestic%20manufacturing%20pharmaceutical%20companies%20almost%20exclusively%20produced%20generic%20products%2C%20and,share%20in%20government’s%20pharmaceutical%20usage
