KENYA SET TO MANUFACTURE NEW ONCE-MONTHLY HIV PREVENTION PILL

Kenya is preparing to manufacture an experimental once-monthly HIV prevention pill under a licensing agreement between local pharmaceutical firm Universal Corporation Limited and global drugmaker Merck.

Universal Corporation Limited (UCL), based in Kenya, is among seven generic manufacturers selected by Merck to prepare for the production of alimatravir, also known as MK-8527, an investigational oral medicine designed to prevent HIV-1 infection. 

The planned medicine would be taken once a month, potentially offering an alternative to daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and injectable prevention options.

However, the drug has not yet been approved for public use. Alimatravir is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials, including studies involving adolescent girls and young women in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda. 

Merck says the early licensing agreements are intended to allow manufacturers to prepare production capacity before clinical trials are completed. If the trials demonstrate that the drug is safe and effective and regulators approve it, manufacturers will be better positioned to begin supplying it quickly. 

The licensing programme covers 129 low- and middle-income countries. UCL is one of three African manufacturers selected, alongside companies in South Africa and Uganda. 

UNAIDS has welcomed the move, saying early preparations for manufacturing, financing and regulatory approval could help ensure faster and more equitable access if the medicine proves successful. 

For Kenya, the agreement could also strengthen local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and create an opportunity for the country to play a larger role in producing medicines for the African market.

For now, however, alimatravir remains an investigational medicine, and its availability to the public will depend on the outcome of clinical trials and subsequent regulatory approval.