Uganda Minister fear for local ACT drug jobs

Uganda's Minister of State for Primary Health Care, Emmanuel Otaala, has expressed mixed feelings over the launch across the region of a  pediatric antimalarial medicine, Coartem Dispersible  (artemether/lumefantrine; Marketletters passim). The artemsinin-based  combination therapy, developed by Swiss drug major Novartis and the  Medicines for Malaria Venture, is the first dispersible fixed-dose  formulation of an ACT to be developed specifically for infant and child  use.

Local newspaper The New Vision reported only a few days prior to the  launch of the new product that the Ugandan government had placed an  emergency order for the adult formulation, Coartem, from the  locally-based Quality Chemicals, a joint venture with India's generics  firm Cipla. Supplies of the ACT ran out after a dispute with the Global  Fund over accountability issues led to a suspension of funds.

Mr Otaala welcomed the arrival of Coartem Dispersible as an "enhancement  of our efforts in the fight against malaria in children." However, the  $0.37 per treatment cost competes with Quality's product, which is  manufactured in a facility that has not been World Health Organization  pre-qualified, he warned.