Business News of Friday, 23 October 2020

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh

DAS PLC, mPharma partner to produce low-cost medicines locally

The two companies will explore a potential manufacturing of branded molecules by DAS for mPharma The two companies will explore a potential manufacturing of branded molecules by DAS for mPharma

Dannex Ayrton Starwin PLC also known as DAS PLC, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with mPharma Pharmaceutical to increase access to quality and low-cost medicines for Ghanaians.

Under the MoU, the two companies will explore a potential business collaboration focused on contract manufacturing of branded molecules by DAS PLC for mPharma, manufacturing cooperation to deliver high-quality medicines, as well as strategic arrangements to enable mPharma distribute DAS PLC products across all mPharma network facilities.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Dannex Ayrton Starwin PLC, Daniel Kissi, said the new agreement was an important step in the company’s drive towards universal health coverage.

“This is a superb and fantastic agreement. At the end of the day, it’s all about ensuring that we get the right level of healthcare in Ghana. It’s also all about us working together to ensure that the medicines are out there to meet the needs of the Ghanaian patients and consumers. From DAS PLC’s stand point, given the supply chain and infrastructure that mPharma is putting together we have no doubt that through those channels medicines will get to where they need to be,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of mPharma Pharmaceuticals, Gregory Rockson, said the collaboration could not have come at a better time as the country was still fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are signing a long-term collaboration with DAS PLC to ensure that we can guarantee the availability and supply of medicines for the Ghanaian population. As one of the big providers of medicine through our retail outlets as well as also the hospitals that we support, we think that it’s important that we can actually as a country work with a local manufacturer like DAS PLC to build resilience within our drug supply chain,” he added.

“I think we find ourselves in unprecedented times with COVID as it has disrupted global supply chains. We also think we can create self-reliance and be able to collaborate with a local manufacturer that ensures that we don’t have to rely on global suppliers for drugs that Ghanaians need. It is very important,” he stated.