Johannesburg – South African pharmaceutical giant Aspen Pharmacare has withdrawn from government plans to manufacture the HIV-prevention injection lenacapavir locally, citing uncertainty over whether there would be enough demand to justify the investment.
According to Billionaires.Africa, Aspen CEO Stephen Saad confirmed the company had withdrawn its expression of interest after the government failed to guarantee purchase volumes.
“It is off the table for us because no-one’s going to promise us volumes,” Business Day quoted Saad as saying.
The report said Aspen is instead focusing its HIV-prevention strategy on alimatravir, an experimental once-monthly pill being developed by Merck.
Saad said Aspen was unwilling to repeat its experience during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it secured an agreement to bottle an Aspen-branded version of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine for Africa but ultimately received no orders.
The withdrawal is a setback for South Africa’s ambitions to build local manufacturing capacity for lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection that has been hailed as a major breakthrough in HIV prevention.
Medical Brief reported that Aspen’s decision is a blow to plans to expand local production, while noting that the company cited a “lack of guaranteed demand” for its withdrawal.
South Africa has been seeking local manufacturers as part of efforts to strengthen security of supply and reduce dependence on imported HIV medicines. The South African National AIDS Council (Sanac) has said Aspen’s withdrawal does not derail the broader process.
The decision comes as South Africa expands access to long-acting HIV prevention. The government launched the rollout of lenacapavir in June 2026, describing it as a significant development in efforts to reduce new HIV infections.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
