Senegal has become the first African country to locally manufacture a generic treatment for sickle cell disease, a development that could improve access to one of the continent’s most important disease-modifying medicines.
Known as DREPAF, the drug is produced by Senegalese pharmaceutical company Teranga Pharma in partnership with the NGO Drep.Afrique. It contains hydroxyurea, an established treatment used to reduce painful crises and other complications associated with sickle cell disease. The development is significant for a continent carrying the largest share of the global sickle cell burden.
The World Health Organization estimates that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly 80% of the world’s sickle cell cases, with about 515,000 new cases recorded globally in 2021. In Africa, access to treatment has long been constrained by cost, limited availability and dependence on imported medicines.
WHO says hydroxyurea is the main disease-modifying therapy for sickle cell disease and strongly recommends it for children and adolescents with sickle cell anaemia. However, access remains limited in many low and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
DREPAF is designed to address part of that problem through local production. Teranga Pharma manufactures the medicine at its facility in Mbao, near Dakar, with the project backed by an investment of about 4 billion CFA francs, equivalent to roughly US$7.1 million.
The drug is available in 100mg and 500mg formulations, including a paediatric version intended for children from nine months of age. This is particularly relevant because younger children can face difficulties with existing formulations and accurate dosing. WHO has identified age-appropriate hydroxyurea formulations as an important priority for improving treatment among children with sickle cell disease. Cost is another major part of the initiative.
The two DREPAF formulations are sold to pharmacies at wholesale prices of about 1,500 and 3,000 CFA francs, with the price depending on the formulation. Imported hydroxyurea products can cost substantially more.
The partnership between Teranga Pharma and Drep.Afrique has also created a model that goes beyond manufacturing. Drep.Afrique says it obtained marketing authorisation for DREPAF in Senegal in 2025 and is working to make the medicine available more widely across Africa.
For Senegal, the achievement also fits into a wider push for pharmaceutical sovereignty. WHO has identified local production of medicines as a strategic priority for Africa, with its 2025–2035 framework calling for stronger domestic manufacturing, regulation and regional supply chains.
The significance of DREPAF therefore extends beyond a single medicine. If production can be scaled and regulatory approval secured in other countries, Senegal could become a regional manufacturing base for a treatment needed by millions of Africans. DREPAF is not a cure for sickle cell disease. It is a disease-modifying treatment that can reduce the frequency of pain crises, hospitalisations and other serious complications. Its importance lies in making an established treatment more accessible by producing it closer to the people who need it.
For a continent where access to essential medicines remains heavily dependent on imports, Senegal’s achievement offers a practical example of what greater African pharmaceutical manufacturing could look like.
