ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS LIMITED - Aspen to manufacture AIDS drugs for Clinton

ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS LIMITED - Aspen to manufacture AIDS drugs for Clinton 
Foundation                                                                      
ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS LIMITED                                               
(Registration number 1985/002935/06                                             
Share code:  APN    ISIN: ZAE000023586                                          
("Aspen")                                                                       
Aspen to manufacture AIDS drugs for Clinton Foundation                          
JSE Securities Exchange listed Aspen Pharmacare, Africa"s largest pharmaceutical
manufacturer, has entered into an agreement with the US-based Clinton Foundation
for the manufacture of antiretroviral (ARV) medicines.                          
Former President Bill Clinton announced today in New York that his Foundation   
has reached an agreement with Aspen and selected other leading multinational    
generic drug manufacturers on a major reduction in the price of HIV/AIDS        
medicine.   As a result, it will be easier to make life-saving drugs widely     
available to people with HIV/AIDS in the developing world.  ARVs supplied by    
these companies have been certified to be of high quality by the World Health   
Organization and the Medicines Control Council of South Africa (MCC).           
"This agreement will allow the delivery of life-saving medicines to people who  
desperately need them," President Clinton said.   "It represents a big          
breakthrough in our efforts to begin treatment programs in places where, until  
now, there has been virtually no medicine, and therefore no hope."              
Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said "as Africa"s largest generics    
manufacture, this agreement further endorses the Group"s quality manufacturing, 
scientific and development capabilities, placing Aspen in a league with the     
leading international generic pharmaceutical manufacturers. Aspen has           
continually stated its commitment to contributing toward the fight against the  
HIV/AIDS pandemic, and this was recently evidenced by the launch of Aspen       
Stavudine - the first generic ARV developed and manufactured in Africa. This    
initial ARV demonstrates Aspen"s commitment to healthcare in southern African   
and underlines the scientific and manufacturing capabilities that exist within  
the country at Aspen"s Port Elizabeth based research and production facilities. 
Further, Aspen is presently in the process of enhancing its manufacturing       
facilities with the addition of a new multi-million rand oral solid dosage      
manufacturing facility to service both domestic and offshore markets."          
The agreement covers ARVs delivered to people in Africa and the Caribbean where 
the William J. Clinton Foundation is working with governments and organizations 
to set up country-wide integrated care, treatment and prevention programs.      
"Under the Clinton Foundation agreement, the price of one of the commonly used  
triple drug therapy combinations will be available for less than $140 per person
per year. This means that these drugs will be available for as little as 36-38  
cents per person per day.  This represents a reduction of one-third to one-half 
in the current price of drugs in the developing world", said Clinton.           
Saad said Aspen"s ARV offering should be bolstered shortly by the addition of   
Didanosine, Lamivudine, Zidovudine, the Lamivudine/Zidovudine combination and   
Nevirapine which have been submitted to the MCC for registration. These         
additional licenses were made available to Aspen through arrangements with      
Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer Ingelheim. As a result of  
the voluntary licenses secured, Aspen infringes no patent regulations.          
The Clinton Foundation has been working with the companies on this agreement    
over the course of the past nine months, focusing on ways to reduce their costs 
and scale up production of the so-called "triple drug cocktails," which can     
substantially extend the lives of people living with AIDS and help prevent      
mother-to-child transmission of HIV.                                            
"The crisis of AIDS in the developing world requires an emergency response from 
the global community," President Clinton said.  "I applaud these manufacturers  
for doing the right thing."  Worldwide, from five to six million people with    
AIDS currently need treatment to save their lives; with more than 40 million    
people infected with the HIV virus, that number will rise substantially in just 
a few years.   However, only about 300,000 people in the developing world are   
receiving ARVs, with most of them in Brazil.   In sub-Saharan Africa, only about
50,000 people are on ARVs, with 4 million in need of the medicine today.        
Issued by:               Shauneen Beukes, Shauneen Beukes Communications        
                    Tel & Fax: (012) 661-8467                                   
Cell: 082 389 8900                                                              
On Behalf Of:       Stephen Saad, Aspen Pharmacare Group Chief Executive        
                    In New York until Saturday, October 25, 2003                
                    Cell:  083 303 4833                                         
Gus Attridge, Aspen Pharmacare Deputy Group Chief Executive 

                    Tel: (031) 268 9505 : Fax: (031) 208 0170                   
                    Cell: 083 628 8813                                          
Johannesburg                                                                    
23 October 2003                                                                 
Date: 24/10/2003 07:05:03 AM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
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