senegal Launches Affordable Sickle cell Treatment for Children
DAKAR, Senegal – A locally produced, generic version of hydroxyurea, called Drepaf, is now available in select Senegalese pharmacies, offering a significantly more affordable and age-appropriate treatment option for children battling sickle cell disease - the world’s leading genetic illness, disproportionately impacting Africa.
Sickle cell disease, affecting an estimated 10% of the Senegalese population, causes severe pain and can be fatal if untreated, with over half of patients dying before the age of 10.Drepaf, packaged by Teranga Pharma in partnership with an NGO and an Indian manufacturer, received marketing authorization in April and is sold at half the price of the original drug. Crucially, the new formulation is designed for children as young as nine months old, potentially preventing debilitating seizures and allowing them to attend school.
“The product can be used from nine months, which will allow him not to have seizures, pain and to go to school, giving him the same chances of success as those who do not have the disease,” explained Mouhamadou Sow, director of Teranga Pharma, while showcasing a current stock of 4,210 boxes at the laboratory’s dakar facility.
The advancement comes as experts emphasize the growing need for sickle cell disease to be recognized as a public health priority.”If we use epidemiological data from the WHO, we know that by 2050 there will be more than 500,000 births per year and that the majority of cases of sickle cell disease, 75%, are found in Africa,” stated Professor Zeynabou Fall, a specialist in sickle cell anemia. “This must become a priority health public, after cancer, malaria and diabetes.”
Currently, 16,000 boxes of Drepaf have been distributed across Senegal, with Teranga pharma planning to resume production in January 2026, with the goal of expanding access to neighboring countries within a year.
