Approved to produce vital medicines

Since Cipla acquired a 100% stake in Mirren, the 35-yearold, over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical manufacturer in 2018, it has invested more than R70 million to increase capacity, improve safety and drive efficiencies at the manufacturing facility located in Benoni, Gauteng.

In an interview with P&C Review, Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla South Africa, explained the company had seen very high demand for the products produced at the facility, yet the necessary capacity wasn’t in place and process flow wasn’t up to Cipla’s standards.

In January 2019, a decision was taken to refurbish the plant, resulting in upgrades to the liquids suite, while the effervescents suite was knocked down and completely rebuilt.

“It took us exactly one year and one month from the time we started the upgrades to the building, to the time we received the approval. This was an impressive journey and absolutely remarkable from a timing and investment perspective,” he comments.

With the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) approval obtained from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), the Cipla Mirren facility is now running at full throttle to ensure continuous supply of OTC medication.

Miller adds: “This approval means that we are fully compliant with all the quality and regulatory requirements. Our timing has been impeccable, as we have ensured that there are enough raw materials and contingencies in place to produce a sufficient supply of medicine to help treat colds and flu, alleviate pain and boost people’s immune systems.”

Continuing the quality mindset

Cipla’s ethos is to ensure access to affordable, quality medicine. To drive this quality mindset, the company moved one of its leaders from the Cipla Medpro Manufacturing facility in Durban to Gauteng to take over the leadership position at the Cipla Mirren plant. This has seen a 67% increase in capacity at Cipla Mirren, which couldn’t have come at a more crucial time as the demand for immune boosters has gone through the roof. This is as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the imminent change of season to winter.

“At this time, it’s absolutely critical people keep their immune systems strong with supplementary medicines. This has sparked a demand for immune boosters, vitamins and minerals, and pain medications manufactured at the Cipla Mirren facility,” says Miller. To reinforce the company’s current OTC portfolio, it now has three dedicated manufacturing facilities on the African continent – Cipla Mirren, CMM in KwaZulu-Natal and the CiplaQCIL manufacturing facility in Kampala, Uganda.