Hetero Drugs, a Rs 550-crore Hyderabad based pharma company, is likely to get order for anti-AIDS drug from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The company has already tied-up with Aspen Pharma Care, a South Africa-based leader in generics, for supply of anti-retroviral drugs (ARV). Hetero Drugs has already consolidated its presence in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Cuba and North American countries such as Columbia and Mexico.

So far, it has provided 14 ARVs at Indian prices and now set to formed new partnerships to fight against AIDS in more and more countries. With focus on R&D, the company has successfully reduced the prices of ARV drugs from $ 5,500 per kg in 1996 to low as $ 550 per kg in 1998.

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad after a visit to Hetero Drug's manufacturing facilities, the vice-president of Congo, Zahidi Arthur Ngoma, said HIV/AIDS was more prevalent in the African countries and was one of the pandemic diseases currently being faced in his country.

In efforts to combat this dreaded disease, a high-power delegation headed by him was on a visit to Hyderabad and held discussions with Hetero Drugs management, he said. Ngoma said his government has invited a delegation of Hetero Drugs to join hands in fighting the disease.

“We hope to finalise the details of the partnership with Hetero Drugs once their team visits Congo,” Ngoma said. Stating that the delegation has not visited any other pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in India for ARV drugs, he, however, did not rule out the possibility of entering into partnerships with other ARV drug companies in India in future.