Description
The company was founded in 1935 by Khwaja Abdul Hamied, and its chairman today is Yusuf Hamied (b. 1936), the founder's eldest son.
Company analysis of Cipla
The company was founded in 1935 by Khwaja Abdul Hamied, and its chairman today is Yusuf
Hamied (b. 1936), the founder's eldest son. Cipla, originally founded as The Chemical, Industrial
& Pharmaceutical Laboratories is a prominent Indian pharmaceutical company, best-known
outside its home country for producing low-cost anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in
developing countries. Cipla makes drugs to treat cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes,
weight control, depression and many other health conditions, and its products are distributed in
more than 180 countries worldwide. [1] Among the hundreds of generic medications it produces
for international distribution are atorvastatin, amlopidine, fluoxetine, venlafaxine hydrochloride
and metformin.
Today (2007), Cipla is the world's largest manufacturer of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to fight
HIV/AIDS, as measured by units produced and distributed (multinational brand-name drugs are
much more expensive, so in money terms Cipla medicines are probably somewhere down the
list). Roughly 40% of HIV/AIDS patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy worldwide take
Cipla drugs. Ranked third in Generic market share statistics in South African Private Sector.
Because Indian law from 1972 has allowed no (end-product) patents on drugs, and provided for
compulsory licensing, Cipla was able to manufacture medicines which enjoy patent monopoly in
certain other countries (particularly those where large, multinational pharmaceutical companies
are based). By doing so, as well as by making
an executive decision not to make profits on AIDS medication, Cipla reduced the cost of
providing antiretrovirals to AIDS patients from $12,000 and beyond (monopoly prices charged
by international pharma conglomerates) down to around $300 per year. Today they are able to do
so for under $150 per patient per year. While this sum remains out of reach for many millions of
people in Third World countries, government and charitable sources often are in a position to
make up the difference for destitute patients.
The customary treatment of AIDS consists of a cocktail of three drugs. Cipla produces an all-in-
one pill called Triomune which contains all three substances (Lamivudine, stavudine and
Nevirapine), something difficult elsewhere because the three patents are held by different
companies. One more popular fixed dose combination is there, with the name Duovir-N. This
contains Lamivudine, Zidovudine and Nevirapine
doc_607392484.docx
The company was founded in 1935 by Khwaja Abdul Hamied, and its chairman today is Yusuf Hamied (b. 1936), the founder's eldest son.
Company analysis of Cipla
The company was founded in 1935 by Khwaja Abdul Hamied, and its chairman today is Yusuf
Hamied (b. 1936), the founder's eldest son. Cipla, originally founded as The Chemical, Industrial
& Pharmaceutical Laboratories is a prominent Indian pharmaceutical company, best-known
outside its home country for producing low-cost anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in
developing countries. Cipla makes drugs to treat cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes,
weight control, depression and many other health conditions, and its products are distributed in
more than 180 countries worldwide. [1] Among the hundreds of generic medications it produces
for international distribution are atorvastatin, amlopidine, fluoxetine, venlafaxine hydrochloride
and metformin.
Today (2007), Cipla is the world's largest manufacturer of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to fight
HIV/AIDS, as measured by units produced and distributed (multinational brand-name drugs are
much more expensive, so in money terms Cipla medicines are probably somewhere down the
list). Roughly 40% of HIV/AIDS patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy worldwide take
Cipla drugs. Ranked third in Generic market share statistics in South African Private Sector.
Because Indian law from 1972 has allowed no (end-product) patents on drugs, and provided for
compulsory licensing, Cipla was able to manufacture medicines which enjoy patent monopoly in
certain other countries (particularly those where large, multinational pharmaceutical companies
are based). By doing so, as well as by making
an executive decision not to make profits on AIDS medication, Cipla reduced the cost of
providing antiretrovirals to AIDS patients from $12,000 and beyond (monopoly prices charged
by international pharma conglomerates) down to around $300 per year. Today they are able to do
so for under $150 per patient per year. While this sum remains out of reach for many millions of
people in Third World countries, government and charitable sources often are in a position to
make up the difference for destitute patients.
The customary treatment of AIDS consists of a cocktail of three drugs. Cipla produces an all-in-
one pill called Triomune which contains all three substances (Lamivudine, stavudine and
Nevirapine), something difficult elsewhere because the three patents are held by different
companies. One more popular fixed dose combination is there, with the name Duovir-N. This
contains Lamivudine, Zidovudine and Nevirapine
doc_607392484.docx