Pharmaceutical firm reduces prices of key antibiotics

By Lucianne Limo

Pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline has announced a price reduction of between 30 to 40 per cent of its key antibiotics, Zinnat and Augmentin across East Africa.

The move, GSK said, is in line with the company’s initiatives to improve healthcare by making its products cheaper in the world’s least developed countries. The announcement came as the Government, through the Deputy Chief Pharmacist Fred Siyoyi said only 25 per cent of Kenyans had access to patented drugs.

Dr Siyoyi noted that although high quality patented drugs were available, their accessibility to Kenyans was limited because they cannot afford them. He asked pharmacists to reduce the prices commensurate with what GSK had done.

"Prices of patented drugs are still high compared to generics. Although the GSK initiative is likely to increase accessibility of patented drugs to 25 per cent, the Government wants to reach 75 per cent," said Siyoyi.

Bacterial infection

GSK Managing Director John Musunga said the reductions will affect only the oral formulation of the antibiotics, and hoped the latest initiative will help reduce the high rate of bacterial infection in the region.

"GSK is committed to improving access to good quality antibiotics by the citizens of East Africa," he said.

He said GSK would reduce the price of Augmentin by 40 per cent and Zinnat by 30 per cent in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other parts of East Africa. Augmentin and Zinnat are market-leading antibiotics with a strong reputation for quality.