Guilin Pharmaceutical, Ltd, a subsidiary company of Fosun Pharma, the only manufacturer of WHO pre-qualified injectable artesunate, today signed an agreement with the African Collaborating Centre for Pharmacovigilance for worldwide pharmacovigilance of three of its products: Artesun (artesunate for injection), D-ARTEPP (fixed dose oral combination of Dihydroartemisnin+Piperaquine) and SPAQ-CO (oral formulation of Amodiaquine Sulphadoxine-Pyrimetamine).

Artesun is the first line drug used in treating patients with severe malaria whilst D-ARTEPP is used to treat uncomplicated malaria. SPAQ-CO is administered to children in certain parts of sub Saharan Africa during the “malaria season” to prevent malaria during and after the season, a treatment approach known as “seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC)”.

This agreement is the first of its kind in Africa between a global pharmaceutical company and an African institution specialising in pharmacovigilance. Considering the fact that the World Health Organisation’s safety database has very little information on the safety of all marketed products in Africa, this collaboration presents a huge opportunity to increase the collection and sharing data of medicines used in Africa. The ACC convenes the AU/NEPAD Regional Centre of Regulatory Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and works extremely closely with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Advocacy and Training in Pharmacovigilance, University of Ghana.

Speaking at the signing of the agreement, Dr Jean-Marc Bouchez, Chief Medical Officer of Guilin Pharmaceutical, Ltd, lauded the partnership and expressed the hope that African institutions will take lead in the safety monitoring of products used for endemic diseases in Africa like malaria. He pledged the support of Guilin Pharmaceutical, Ltd towards the building of national institutions for safety monitoring of products and invited other companies to join such initiatives in a bid to strengthen national health systems across Africa.

Prof Alex Dodoo, Director of the African Collaborating Centre for Pharmacovigilance welcomed the partnership and called on African scientists and health professionals to collaborate actively in the area of post-market safety surveillance of medicines, vaccines and other medical products used in Africa. He posited that a healthy and safe Africa is the responsibility of all Africans and all who collaborate with or work in Africa and encouraged governments and the private sector to explore innovative approaches to leverage resources for sustainable safety monitoring systems on the continent.

About Guilin Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd

Established in 1950’s, Guilin Pharma is a subsidiary company of Fosun Pharma that produces more than 200 chemical medicines in different dosage forms such as tablets, capsules and injections. As the first Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer approved by the World Health Organization, Guilin Pharma is also China’s largest artemisinin based anti-malarial drug producer with the world’s most integrated artemisinin Industry value chain. So far, products of Guilin Pharma have been registered and marketed in more than 30 countries internationally. As a World Health Organization approved antimalarial producer, Guilin Pharma works with international NGOs, academic institutions and the local malaria control programs on training project to improve the skills of local medical staff, so as to reduce malaria mortality in African children.For more information on Guilin Pharma, please contact overseas@guilinpharma.com or visit the company’s website at  www.guilinpharma.com/en/ 

About Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd.

Established in 1994, Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (“Fosun Pharma”; stock code: 600196.SH, 02196.HK) is a leading healthcare Group in the PRC. Fosun Pharma strategically covers important segments of the healthcare industry value-chain, including pharmaceutical manufacturing and R&D, healthcare services, medical diagnosis, medical devices manufacturing and agent, as well as pharmaceutical distribution and retail, making contribution to improving people’s health. Fosun Pharma maintains a National Recognized Enterprise Technology Centre and a highly capable international R&D team, focusing on innovation and research of therapeutic areas including cardiovascular system, central nervous system, blood system, metabolism and digestive tract system, anti-infection and anti-tumor. With its commitment to innovation for good health and creating a better future, Fosun Pharma will continue insisting on the strategic development approach of “organic growth with external expansion and integrated business operation”, striving to be one of the first-class enterprises in the global healthcare market.

For more information, please visit www.fosunpharma.com.

About the African Collaborating Centre for Pharmacovigilance

The African Collaborating Centre for Pharmacovigilance is a registered non-governmental organisation that convenes pharmacovigilance activities in Africa. It leads the work of the African Union/NEPAD Regional Centre of Regulatory Excellence in Pharmacovigilance and works closely with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Advocacy and Training in Pharmacovigilance, University of Ghana. For more information on the ACC, do contact info@who-acc.org or visit www.who-acc.org