Fidson Healthcare Plc has taken a significant step towards expanding access to HIV treatments in Africa by signing a strategic cooperation agreement with three Chinese firms – Jiangsu Aidea Pharma, Nanjing PharmaBlock, and the China-Africa Development Fund .
This partnership aims to leverage the strengths of each company to establish a new joint venture pharmaceutical plant project in Nigeria, making HIV drugs more accessible to those who need them .
Led by Dr. Fidelis Ayebae, the founder and Managing Director of Fidson Healthcare Plc, a Nigerian team sealed the deal in Beijing, China .
Dr. Ayebae expressed his optimism about the partnership, stating that it would bridge the gap in HIV treatment for Nigerians and other Africans living with the disease .
“Through this collaboration, the four parties have agreed to actively leverage their respective strengths to establish a new joint venture pharmaceutical plant project in Nigeria.
“This new project is poised to promote Africa’s self-reliance in healthcare delivery especially to tackle HIV.
“All parties agreed to share information and resources, jointly explore investment opportunities in the pharmaceutical markets of West African countries, and implement investment cooperation at the project level”, he highlighted.
The Fidson boss added that the signing ceremony followed a series of engagements which included a visit by the Chairman of Jiangsu Aidea Pharma- Dr. Heliang Fu to Nigeria earlier in the year.
“ During that visit, Dr. Fu toured the Lekki Free Trade Zone, the chosen site for the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that is set to revolutionize the pharmaceutical industry in Nigeria and the wider African continent.
“The partnership between Fidson and the Chinese firms is a sterling example of international cooperation to tackle pressing medical challenges.
“The upcoming manufacturing facility will become a hub for pharmaceutical excellence, leveraging the Lekki Free Trade Zone’s strategic location and comprehensive infrastructure to foster economic growth and healthcare improvement in the words of Dr. Fu.
“This collaboration marks an important step for Chinese Pharma players in their commitment to global medical cooperation”, he said.
Ayebae stated that the move would address the medical needs of over 1.9 million persons living with HIV in Nigeria.
“We eagerly look forward to this collaboration and believe that the complementary strengths of all parties will inject new vitality into the Healthcare delivery sector in Africa, particularly addressing the medical needs of over 1.9 million HIV-infected individuals in Nigeria, a focus of Aidea Pharma”, he noted.
Fidson’s market value stands at N30.3 billion, despite its Lagos-listed stock experiencing a 24.6% decline this year.
