The shareholders of Quality Chemicals have approved the construction of a second pharmaceutical factory, nearly double the size of the company’s current facility.
The new plant will produce key first-line tuberculosis (TB) treatment drugs, including rifampicin, isoniazid, and ethambutol, as well as medications for multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) such as pretomanid and bedaquiline, which are currently not manufactured anywhere on the African continent.
“We’re committed to producing these critical treatments here in Uganda to improve access and reduce dependency on foreign supply chains,” said Ajay Pal, business manager at Quality Chemicals.
The company has already completed six months of detailed engineering work and secured commercial funding through a bank loan to initiate the project. Beyond TB, the new facility will also scale up production of medications for HIV and malaria, aiming to meet rising regional demand.
Quality Chemicals supplies HIV medicines to 14 countries in the region, with 17 million treatments sold last year, 6 million of them within Uganda alone.
“These are public health diseases, and procurement is largely done by governments and institutions,” Pal said.
“You won’t find HIV treatment in regular pharmacies. It’s accessed through public health facilities.”
Quality Chemicals is also venturing into injectable platforms, including long-acting formulations, to reduce pill burden and modernize treatment options.
“We’re establishing a platform to manufacture injectables and want it flexible enough to accommodate newer-generation therapies,” Pal said.
Among the pipeline products is Lenacapavir, a small-volume injectable used for HIV prevention (PrEP).
“Our estimated timeline is 24 months from August to complete the factory. After that, we’ll begin product development and work on licensing,” he added.
Cabotegravir, another PrEP drug, is also in the pipeline, to be produced on the same platform once the facility is operational. The new factory will also include a dedicated research and development (R&D) facility, enabling early-stage drug development and clinical research to be conducted locally in Uganda.
They are broadening their focus beyond HIV, malaria, and TB. The company is expanding into treatments for sickle cell disease, diabetes, hepatitis, and hypertension, all of which remain major health concerns across Africa.
Later this year, the company plans to launch a locally manufactured treatment for Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a rare and often inaccessible pediatric condition.
“These are products that are rarely available in Africa. We want to change that. Our population deserves access to the best, most up-to-date medicines, not products that are 10 years old. If there’s a better product with fewer side effects and better efficacy, it should be available locally,” he said.
Commenting on the recent suspension of the USAID funding, Pal said the direct impact on the compnay has been minimal, as only a small portion of business was linked to USAID through a single partner.
“Globally, however, USAID has been instrumental in funding disease response programs. The suspension will require other institutions to step up and mitigate risks,” he said.
“Aid is only meaningful if it eventually becomes unnecessary. If we continue depending on it forever, we’ll still be here a hundred years from now having the same conversation. What we need are structural shifts that build long-term sustainability and reduce reliance on donor funding.” Pal said.
