Unitaid announced on 24 July 2026 that it will support three African pharmaceutical manufacturers preparing for potential regional production of alimatravir (MK-8527), a once-monthly HIV prevention pill currently in Phase 3 development. The beneficiaries — Quality Chemical Industries Limited (Qcil) in Uganda, Universal Corporation Limited (UCL) in Kenya, and Aspen Pharmacare in South Africa — will receive end-to-end assistance to strengthen their manufacturing capabilities, according to a press release by Unitaid. The support is contingent on successful clinical trial results and regulatory approval. It aims to lay the foundations for more sustainable regional production of future HIV prevention medicines across the continent. The initiative reflects a broader push to bring innovative HIV prevention closer to the communities that need it.
Developed by MSD (a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA), alimatravir is an investigational once-monthly oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medicine currently in Phase III clinical trials. If proven safe and effective and approved by regulators, it could become an important new prevention option alongside existing daily oral PrEP and long-acting injectable antiretrovirals (ARVs). Qcil, UCL and Aspen Pharmacare already have established track records producing quality-assured medicines for HIV, malaria and other priority diseases. The announcement follows recent agreements between MSD and the three manufacturers for the future supply of generic alimatravir. It reflects a shared commitment to strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity on the continent.
Support to the three manufacturers will be delivered through the MedSuRe Africa program, implemented by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). MedSuRe works to improve sustainable Africa-based production of critical medicines used for the prevention and treatment of malaria, HIV/AIDS, and maternal health conditions such as post-partum hemorrhage. It sits within Unitaid’s broader Regional Manufacturing for Equitable Access (RMEA) portfolio. Through MedSuRe, Unitaid will strengthen the technical expertise, systems and partnerships needed to manufacture products such as alimatravir locally. Partners aim to enable innovative HIV prevention medicines to be produced closer to where they are needed.
“Aspen pioneered Africa’s first generic antiretroviral in 2003, and we have argued ever since that this continent should not wait years for novel medicines originated elsewhere,” said Stavros Nicolaou, Group Senior Executive, Strategic Trade at Aspen Pharma Group. He added that with Unitaid’s support through MedSuRe, Aspen can accelerate its capability to make the once-monthly prevention pill on the African continent before approval rather than years after it. Ajay Kumar Pal, CEO of Qcil, said the company was proud to contribute its manufacturing expertise to broaden HIV prevention options across Africa. Perviz Dhanani, Founder and Managing Director of UCL, described the collaboration as an important step in advancing regional pharmaceutical manufacturing excellence. Dr. Philippe Duneton, Executive Director at Unitaid, noted that innovation must come with access plans to improve health outcomes.
In parallel, Unitaid is investing early in preparing health systems for the rapid introduction of alimatravir and other next-generation HIV prevention products. Building on its broader PrEP portfolio, the organization announced a further US$15 million investment on 23 July to accelerate the introduction, adoption, and uptake of breakthrough HIV prevention products. Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of USP, said impact ultimately depends on closing the gap between innovation, availability, and quality. MedSuRe is funded by Unitaid and the European Union, and led by USP. Strengthening regional manufacturing will be critical to ensuring that innovative products reach low- and middle-income countries more quickly, more reliably and at a sustainable scale.
