Senegal produces first Africa-made generic sickle-cell treatment
Senegal has become the first African country reported to locally manufacture a generic hydroxyurea treatment for sickle-cell disease, with the medicine, branded DREPAF, produced by Senegalese pharmaceutical company Teranga Pharma in partnership with the NGO Drep.Afrique.
DREPAF contains hydroxyurea, a long-established medicine recommended for the management of sickle-cell disease. It helps reduce painful crises and hospitalisations and can lower the risk of serious complications.
The development is significant because sub-Saharan Africa carries the largest burden of sickle-cell disease, while many patients have historically depended on imported medicines, which can be expensive or difficult to obtain.
According to Drep.Afrique, Senegal’s health authorities granted DREPAF marketing authorisation in 2025, and the medicine began becoming available in Senegal in early 2026. It is being sold at cost through a humanitarian partnership, with the aim of making treatment substantially more affordable.
A particularly notable development is the paediatric formulation. Teranga Pharma says the formulation is designed for children from nine months of age, addressing difficulties associated with administering hydroxyurea to young children.
The initiative is also being presented as more than a Senegalese pharmaceutical achievement. Drep.Afrique says it hopes to expand DREPAF to other African countries and reduce the continent’s dependence on imported medicines.
The development could therefore represent an important step toward African pharmaceutical sovereignty — producing essential medicines locally for a disease that disproportionately affects African populations.
Important clarification: DREPAF is not a cure for sickle-cell disease. It is a generic formulation of hydroxyurea used as a long-term treatment to manage the condition and reduce complications.
