The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has granted Craigavon-based pharmaceutical firm Almac $200,000 (around £150,000) to make contraceptive implants affordable for women in the developing world.
The latest statistics from the World Health Organisation indicate that the need for modern contraceptives in developing countries is not being met, with over 214 million women of reproductive age who want to avoid pregnancy not currently using a modern contraceptive method.
The introduction of contraceptives has helped reduce the spread of infections such as HIV, and helps women space their pregnancies out to reduce infant mortality rates and the health risks to women. Contraceptive implants are a popular way to ensure long-term use of contraceptives, but current implants can be unsuitable for the developing world as the pharmaceuticals involved can be costly.
Craigavon-based pharmaceutical tech company Almac has been putting together a new project to reduce the cost of the drugs used in these implants. The company has now been given $200,000 (around £150,000) by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation toward the project, which will focus on reducing the cost of the drug Etonorgestrel.
The medication is used in contraceptive implants and currently costs around £150,000 per kilogram, but Almac hopes to reduce this to just £3,800 per kilogram. The first phase of the project officially kicks off next year and will last three months, after which the team is expected to scale up over the following two years.
Source: BBC News, Belfast Telegraph
