News

AIDS drug tender: Cipla takes Health Department to Court

18 Aug 2026

The Health Department is defending Cipla’s challenge involving the R15.5bn AIDS drug tender in the High Court.

Cipla argues that, although it previously supplied the State and invested in local manufacturing, it received no share of contracts for monthly or three-monthly packs of the key HIV medicines tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir, known as TLD.
The company requested the Court to overturn the awards, arguing that officials failed to give enough weight to local manufacturing. It also claims some bidders should have been disqualified and that officials made errors when dividing volumes among successful suppliers.

The R7.25bn contract for monthly TLD packs was divided among eight companies. A separate R5.38bn contract for three-month packs went to seven suppliers

The Department argues that officials followed a fair and rational process when awarding contracts to supply key HIV medicines. – Business Day (18 August 2026)

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