Ranbaxy JV Won Contract from SA Government

Drug-maker Ranbaxy Laboratories declared on 20 December 2010 that it South Africa-based joint venture, Sonke Pharmaceutical bagged a 913.5 million rand (about Rs 605 crore) order from South African government. Ranbaxy’s joint venture won the contract from the South Africa government for supply of drugs for prevention and treatment of AIDS. The 913.5 million rand order bagged by Sonke is a part of a 4.28 billion rand national anti-retroviral (ARV) tender floated by the South African government. The SA government approved of the implementation to scale up the HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment programme introduced by the South African Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.  The medicines will be manufactured in South Africa and at Ranbaxy facilities in India. Sonke Pharmaceuticals which is a joint venture between Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals and Community Investment Holding, is the second largest local supplier of generic ARV medication in South Africa.