Impetus Digital Interview: Increasing Pharmaceutical Access Through Technology

In the latest Impetus Digital Fireside Chatt, CEO Natalie Yeadon talks with Dr. Dhiren Thakker about how cutting-edge technologies, including blockchain, can help improve access to pharmaceuticals in sub-Saharan Africa. Thakker is the President and CEO of Med Aditus International, a non-profit dedicated to helping improve drug affordability and accessibility worldwide. As highlighted by the pandemic, Sub-Saharan Africa could benefit heavily by increased regional drug manufacturing, a process that could be facilitated by new tech.

Instead of relying on traditional time-consuming sequential manufacturing techniques, Thakker proposes a process called continuous manufacturing, “whereby you put the ingredients at one end of this production line, and everything mixes and other things that need to happen happen. On the other end, you actually have tablets coming out, if you’re producing tablets. This happens in a continuous fashion, so, from the time you actually load the ingredients and the time the tablet comes out, it’s a matter of minutes, not weeks and months.”

Watch the entire interview by clicking here.

(Source: Impetus Digital, March 24^th, 2022)