A Senegalese pharmaceutical company is behind a new generic drug for sickle cell disease.
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that causes red blood cells to become abnormally shaped. The cell takes on a crescent or “sickle” shape, making it harder for blood to flow through the body. This causes intense pain for the individual and can lead to organ damage and infection.
Sickle cell disease is more common among people of African descent, according to the American Society of Hematology. More specifically, the outlet reports that nearly two-thirds of global cases are found in sub-Saharan Africa. About 400,000 infants are born with sickle cell disease each year in the region.
“Overall, more patients in sub-Saharan Africa manage their pain crises at home and delay going to the hospital. These practices can contribute to higher mortality,” said Baba Inusa, MBBS, professor of paediatric haematology at the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine of King’s College London, according to the outlet. “To increase survival in this region, it’s critical that we improve diagnosis and access to treatments like penicillin and hydroxyurea.”
Mouhamadou Sow is now producing a generic version of the hydroxyurea treatment, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), through his Senegalese pharmaceutical company Teranga Pharma, Africa News reports. The outlet notes that the treatment helps reduce painful crises, hospitalizations, and the need for blood transfusions. According to the NIH, the active ingredient triggers the body to produce fetal hemoglobin, which keeps red blood cells round and flexible. This also reduces blockages and improves flow.
“Africans do not have access to the active ingredient. So the first key point is that Teranga Pharma has enabled Senegalese and Africans to gain access to this molecule,” Sow told Africa News.
Teranga Pharma has already started producing the hydroxyurea-based medicine, called Drepaf, Pulse Nigeria reports. It is reportedly the first African-made clinical sickle cell treatment.
“Doctors often had to treat the consequences of the disease rather than addressing its root cause, the red blood cells,” Sow told Africa News.
Drepaf launched in 2025 and is more accessible than imported medicine, according to the outlet. It is available to adults and children in different doses and is intended to reduce “the crisis threefold.”
“Our approach is based not only on financial considerations but also on public health. Because if Africa is to develop, if Africa is to enjoy good health, the medicines that Africans take must be produced in Africa,” Sow mentioned, per Africa News.
