Executive Summary
The Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industry (KAPI) is a membership organization, established in the late 1960s, representing biopharmaceutical manufacturers (or their local representatives) that through research invent and develop medicines and technologies (e.g., Biopharmaceuticals, Vaccine Healthcare, Medical devices, Diagnostics) that significantly improve people’s lives. KAPI represents the industry voice and promotes efficiency in the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that medical products and healthcare technologies of the highest quality can be readily available for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases.
Weekly Brief:
This is a roundup of news allied to the biopharmaceutical industry with a bearing on our mission to improve access to lifesaving health products and technologies for positive health outcomes.
- The Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker has applied to local authorities to conduct small domestic trials of Novavax Inc’s. COVID-19 Vaccine found to be 89.3% effective in UK trial. (Reuters |The Guardian)
- The Lancet Commission on COVID-19 Vaccines and Therapeutics Task Force Members calls for structured investment in COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics for low and middle income countries. (The Lancet)
- World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA) signs a strategic collaborative agreement to support scaling up of healthcare innovations in low and middle income countries (Health Europa)
- Policies geared towards reduction of fomite disinfection to recommended levels are critical in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This is acknowledging potential transfer of resistance from bacterial pathogens especially on the backdrop of widespread disinfection and use of alcohol based hand sanitizers to contain spread of COVID-19. (Science)
- Vaccines prevented 37 million deaths in the last 20years in LMIC and are projected to save 32 million more lives by 2030. This is why we must invest in vaccination programmes. (Mirage News)
- WHO announces updated definitions for extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) to help precisely define patients who need complex treatment regimens, lead to better surveillance, reporting and monitoring of drug-resistant TB. (WHO)
- Pfizer vaccine found to be only less effective against the South African variant of COVID-19 virus. (Telegraph)
- Eli Lilly teams up with GSK and Vir biotech for COVID-19 antibody test. (FIERCE Biotech)
- South Africa allows use of parasitic drug ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 among patients on compassionate grounds for a controlled access programme. (Bloomberg)
- The Global Fund needs additional funding to continue supporting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria programs in the countries where it invests. After deploying all available COVID-19 funds, nearly $1 billion in total, most of it to sub-Saharan African countries, it has run out of funding. Without this support, implementer countries risk facing significant disruptions to their three disease programs while COVID-19 cases continue to rise. (Aidspan)
- Overcoming neglect and finding ways to manage and control NTDs is a priority. (MSF)
- The African Union has secured an additional 400million vaccine doses as reported by Africa CDC Director, John Nkengasong. (Africa News | Medical Express)
- Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine shown to give greater protection against severe forms of COVID-19 disease. (Bloomberg)
- Heparin that targets coronavirus spikes protecting interaction with ACE2 receptors have been found to show promise in COVID-19 management. (Medical Express)
- New COVID-19 variants fuelling Africa’s second wave of COVID-19 infections. (WHO Africa Regional Office)
- The EU Commissioner Kyriakides issued a statement on deliveries of vaccines by AstraZeneca pointing at probable need for approval on exports to third countries. (European Commission | IFPMA)
- Pharmaceutical companies continue to inch forward when it comes to addressing access to medicine in low- and middle-income countries, finds the 2021 Access to Medicine Index, published Tuesday 26 January, 2021. (Access To Medicines Index)
- KAPI Leadership Pays Courtesy Visit to the Principal Secretary (PS), Ministry of Health to deliberate on regulatory concerns plaguing the industry, medicines prices, COVID-19 vaccination plans among other issues in the industry. (Press Release)