Ranbaxy May Negotiate on Congolese Drug Sales

Leading Indian generics producer Ranbaxy is understood to be negotiating a drug supply deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Although the company has refused to comment, an Indian industry group has quoted the DRC foreign minister during a visit to the country. The minister apparently claimed that the order would be large enough to meet the DRC's domestic demand "at reasonably concessional prices."

Such a claim would imply a substantial deal, assuming the country's government is able to fund any agreement adequately. It is currently unclear which drugs the DRC's authorities would seek to source from Ranbaxy's diverse product portfolio, although the Indian drugmaker has recently received tentative US FDA and WHO approval for three of its antiretroviral products under the PEPFAR HIV/AIDS initiative's expedited review process.