Sonak Pharmaceutical (Pty) Ltd, a joint venture between Ranbaxy (Pty) Ltd and Community Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd (CIH), South Africa, has won Rand 91.35 crore award of the Rand 428 crore national ARV tender. Sonak is the second-largest local supplier of generic antiretroviral (ARV) medication in South Africa. The medicines will be manufactured in South Africa and at Ranbaxy facility in India.

The South African government approved the implementation plan to scale up the HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment programme that was recently presented by Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, in his Health Budget speech in April. Dr Motsoaledi mentioned that the most important task that faces South Africa is to reduce the number of new HIV infections by 50 per cent by 2011-12, and to provide ARV treatment to 80 per cent of South Africans living with HIV and AIDS.

Dr Anna Mokgokong, chairperson, of Sonke, said, “We are proud to be a part of the health care solution in South Africa, by bringing, affordable ARVs and making them easily available to all people who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

Arun Sawhney, managing director, Ranbaxy Laboratories, said, “We are humbled to be given this responsibility to produce, supply and distribute affordable ARVs in South Africa. As a socially responsible global pharmaceutical company, we are committed to the cause of alleviating the suffering due to HIV/AIDS and to bringing high quality medication to those who need it the most.”

Sonke, established in January 2006 and a Black Empowered Pharmaceutical company, has launched 16 products to date, eight of which are manufactured locally in South Africa and with this tender, the company will now be able to introduce another nine ARVs to the market to serve the needs of a wider cross section of patients. Sonke was appointed by the Government to supply generic ARVs throughout South Africa. It also provides generic ARVs to Botswana and Nambibia respectively.

Ranbaxy (S.A.) (Pty) Ltd., based in Centurion, South Africa, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories and is ranked No 5 amongst generic companies. Ranbaxy has invested around US$100 million in South Africa.