Rethinking Health Innovation from the South WORKSHOP South Africa/ Cape town December 13 – 15 /2010

Local Production of medicines represents one pillar that allows the access to medicines. The social responsibility of the State is to guarantee a Public health System that enhances quality of life to their citizens, including free and sustainable access to: Prevention: by policies for producing vaccines Diagnosis: by policies for developing and producing kits for prevalent pathologies Treatment: by policies for producing pharmaceutical products which are suitable for human use Hospital Care: by policies that strengthen public hospital attendance.

Mission: Producing medicines for supplying the public demand, having as priorities medicines distribution to citizens free of charge; these medicines are acquired from the MoH that negotiates and purchases them. Accomplishing R&D activities in the pharmaceutical field, having as priorities: (1)production of imported drugs which have a significant weight in the MoH budget; (2) reduction of the technological dependence; (3) settling partnerships with private sector. Developing new formulations with affordable price in order to optimize therapeutic activity and patients’ compliance. The new formulations are obtained by nanotechnology, melting extrusion, fixed dose combination. Farmanguinhos is a key in these policies set It is the only public laboratory fitted directly to the MoH.

Objectives: 1)Being a certified facility in good manufacturing practices and good laboratory quality. 2) Meeting effectively the demands of the Ministry of Health to ensure access and prevent drug shortages. 3) Ensuring an adequate price, in a transparent fashion to allow the financial support of the public health system. 4) Being a reference model for public production. 5) Being a Technology Development in the country. 6) Contributing in pursuing for innovative molecules to address neglected diseases.

Outcomes: A)Production 1 - Majority production of antiretroviral drugs for the MoH. 2 - Production of medicines for malaria, filariasis, tuberculosis. 3 - Production of medicines for supplying the primary care: analgesics, antibiotics, hypertension, antidiabetic. B) Development of new formulations: ritonavir and lopinavir / ritonavir by melting extrusion, a combination of four drugs (fixed drugs combination) for supplying patients with Tuberculosis. C) Re-engineering of synthetic production of Efavirenz in a laboratory scale and in partnership with private enterprise to make up the scale.

Acknowledgment : Fernanda Macedo Thank you Eloan Pinheiro