South Africa: Aspen Pharmacare ready to accelerate the production of its molecule against Covid-19

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This is good news for patients with coronavirus but also for Aspen Pharmacare: dexamethasone, a steroid produced by this laboratory, has proven to be particularly effective against Covid-19. The South African company said it was ready, Friday, June 19, to "accelerate its production".

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Aspen Pharmacare is one of the main African industrialists and the largest pharmaceutical company in the southern hemisphere.

Based in Durban, the South African laboratory is also the proud holder of the licenses to manufacture dexamethasone, which a British study has just highlighted the effectiveness in the treatment of patients with Covid-19 .

The Recovery clinical trial has shown that this powerful steroid reduces deaths by a third in patients placed on artificial respiration, and in a fifth in those placed on oxygen but not intubated. In the process, the United Kingdom has shown its willingness to use this anti-inflammatory, apparently effective therefore, but also very cheap.

Pending WHO recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) will soon announce its new recommendations on the use of the drug.

The Aspen Pharmacare laboratory has therefore started to assess what global demand could be and claimed to be able to accelerate the production of its dexamethasone.

The South African Minister of Health and President Cyril Ramaphosa himself publicly welcomed this good news for patients with coronavirus and for South Africa.

► Read also: South Africa: the effective tuberculosis vaccine against Covid-19?

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• South Africa
• Coronavirus

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