New research-based pharmaceutical organisation IPASA launches
The Innovative Pharmaceutical Association South Africa (IPASA) officially came into being as of 2 April 2013. After much mediation, IPASA saw qualifying companies from two pharmaceutical associations unify under a new mandate to empower research and development-based pharmaceutical corporations. IPASA is currently made up of 24 pharmaceutical companies active within South Africa.
Up until the establishment of IPASA, most innovation-based companies operating in South Africa were represented by either one of two industry associations: Pharmaceutical Industry Association of South Africa (PIASA) or Innovative Medicines South Africa (IMSA). To a large extent, both of these associations fulfilled the same function and hence, this created opportunity to unite like-minded innovative companies operating in South Africa into a single and progressive association.
The desire for a cohesive, unified representative industry body initiated the formation of IPASA, and both IMSA and the PIASA have since closed their doors. The innovation based pharmaceutical industry has taken a huge step forward, moving towards a completely new level of co-operation in creating a brand new association with it’s own inherent culture and ideals. IPASA will now replace PIASA and IMSA as representing the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) in South Africa.
Although there are a number of set criteria pharmaceutical companies must meet to become a member of IPASA the one main criteria is that companies must conduct their own research and development (R&D) to qualify for membership. As IPASA serves to represent only those pharmaceutical companies dedicated to exploring, developing and bringing innovative, quality medicines to the South African market. As a result, member companies support and respect Intellectual Property (IP), which is a principle that’s central to IPASA’s values, mission and vision.
IPASA will represent only the interests of pharmaceutical companies that invest time and money into research and development (R&D) of new therapeutic medicines or devices. By leveraging its global reach IPASA aspires to be driven by a mandate to improve the nation’s health care by developing access to quality medicines and treatments.
IPASA has established working groups to contribute to the South African healthcare sector, and looks forward to engaging with Government and Stakeholders on relevant issues going forward.
The member companies are:
1. Abbot Laboratories
2. AbbVie
3. Alcon Laboratories
4. Allergan Pharmaceuticals
5. Amgen
6. AstraZeneca
7. Bayer Healthcare
8. Boehringer Ingelheim
9. Bristol-Myers Squibb
10. Covidien
11. Galderma
12. GE Healthcare
13. Janssen Pharmaceutical
14. Lilly
15. Merck
16. MSD
17. Norgine
18. Novartis
19. Novo Nordisk20. Takeda
21. Pfizer
22. Roche
23. Sanofi
24. Servier Laboratories
The shared vision of a single, unified body to better represent the collective interests of research-based organisations has finally become a reality, and IPASA looks forward to an exciting and progressive path ahead.
