Africa: Have pharmaceutical companies come to party in Africa?

Bowing to huge international pressure, major pharmaceutical companies have made significant efforts to make their patented antiretroviral drugs available in Africa while ensuring that they – not generic manufacturers – maintain market control in the continent. Globally, the ARV market accounts for less than 3% of pharmaceutical sales worldwide and Africa’s portion of this has been negligible. However, with the World Health Organisation’s campaign to get three million people on ARV treatment by the end of this year (the 3-by-5 campaign), there has been a scramble to ensure improved supplies. The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has also made cash available for some of the continent’s poorest nations to buy ARV drugs.