Quality Chemical Industries Limited
Encyclopedia
Quality Chemical Industries Limited (QCIL), is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Uganda
. It is the only company in Sub-Saharan Africa
that manufactures triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
Initially QCIL focused on the importation of generic drugs from India
.
In 2004, QCIL convinced the Indian drug maker, Cipla
, to go into a joint venture with QCIL and set up a pharmaceutical plant in Uganda. Ground was broken in 2005 and the factory was commissioned in 2007.
, a suburb of Kampala
, Uganda's capital and largest city. The factory is a joint venture between QCIL, the Government of Uganda and the India
n pharmaceutical company Cipla
. In 2009, TLG Capital invested an undisclosed amount of money in the project. Subsequently Capitalworks Investment Partners, a private equity firm based in South Africa
also became a shareholder in the pharmaceutical plant.
Besides manufacturing the triple-combination ARVs, the new factory will manufacture the new antimalarial drug Lumartem, containing artemisinin
and lumefantrin. Lumartem has less drug resistance than some of the commoner antimalarials like Chloroquine
. The new plant is estimated to cost about US$38 million. In February 2010, the Government of Uganda divested from the new pharmaceutical plant by selling its shares, "at cost" to Quality Chemical Industries Limited. The transaction was valued at approximately US$5 million.
In February 2011, the owners of the pharmaceutical factory announced an US$80 million expansion to the production line, to include increased production of antiretroviral and antimalarial medication.
{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Shareholding In QCIL Pharmaceutical Plant
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Rank !!Name of Owner!!Percentage Ownership
|-
|1||Cipla
of India
||41.80
|-
|2||QCIL of Uganda
||41.80
|-
|3||Capitalworks Investment Partners of South Africa
||08.20
|-
|4||TLG Capital of the United Kingdom
||08.20
|-
| ||Total||100.00
|-
|}
to train as a biochemist
. The Managing Director of QCIL is Emmanuel Katongole.
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. It is the only company in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
that manufactures triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.
History
The company was formed in 1998 by five investors:- Randall Tierney
- Edward Martin
- Francis X. Kitaka - Chairman QCIL
- Emmanuel Katongole - CEO QCIL
- Fred Kitaka Mutebi - CFO QCIL
- George Baguma - Director of Marketing QCIL
Initially QCIL focused on the importation of generic drugs from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In 2004, QCIL convinced the Indian drug maker, Cipla
Cipla
Cipla Limited is a prominent Indian pharmaceutical company, best-known outside its home country for manufacturing low-cost anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in developing countries...
, to go into a joint venture with QCIL and set up a pharmaceutical plant in Uganda. Ground was broken in 2005 and the factory was commissioned in 2007.
New Manufacturing Plant
In 2007, the company commissioned a new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Port BellPort Bell
Port Bell is a small industrial centre in the greater metropolitan Kampala area, in Uganda. Port Bell has a rail link and a rail/road ferry wharf used for International traffic across Lake Victoria to Tanzania and Kenya.-Location:...
, a suburb of Kampala
Kampala
Kampala is the largest city and capital of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe Division, Makindye Division, Nakawa Division and Lubaga Division. The city is coterminous with Kampala District.-History: of Buganda, had chosen...
, Uganda's capital and largest city. The factory is a joint venture between QCIL, the Government of Uganda and the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n pharmaceutical company Cipla
Cipla
Cipla Limited is a prominent Indian pharmaceutical company, best-known outside its home country for manufacturing low-cost anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in developing countries...
. In 2009, TLG Capital invested an undisclosed amount of money in the project. Subsequently Capitalworks Investment Partners, a private equity firm based in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
also became a shareholder in the pharmaceutical plant.
Besides manufacturing the triple-combination ARVs, the new factory will manufacture the new antimalarial drug Lumartem, containing artemisinin
Artemisinin
Artemisinin , also known as Qinghaosu , and its derivatives are a group of drugs that possess the most rapid action of all current drugs against falciparum malaria. Treatments containing an artemisinin derivative are now standard treatment worldwide for falciparum malaria...
and lumefantrin. Lumartem has less drug resistance than some of the commoner antimalarials like Chloroquine
Chloroquine
Chloroquine is a 4-aminoquinoline drug used in the treatment or prevention of malaria.-History:Chloroquine , N'--N,N-diethyl-pentane-1,4-diamine, was discovered in 1934 by Hans Andersag and co-workers at the Bayer laboratories who named it "Resochin". It was ignored for a decade because it was...
. The new plant is estimated to cost about US$38 million. In February 2010, the Government of Uganda divested from the new pharmaceutical plant by selling its shares, "at cost" to Quality Chemical Industries Limited. The transaction was valued at approximately US$5 million.
In February 2011, the owners of the pharmaceutical factory announced an US$80 million expansion to the production line, to include increased production of antiretroviral and antimalarial medication.
Ownership of Pharmaceutical Plant
, the shareholding in the pharmaceutical plant is as depicted in the table below:{| style="font-size:100%;"
|-
| width="100%" align="center" | Shareholding In QCIL Pharmaceutical Plant
|- valign="top"
|
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"
! style="width:2em;" |Rank !!Name of Owner!!Percentage Ownership
|-
|1||Cipla
Cipla
Cipla Limited is a prominent Indian pharmaceutical company, best-known outside its home country for manufacturing low-cost anti-AIDS drugs for HIV-positive patients in developing countries...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
||41.80
|-
|2||QCIL of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
||41.80
|-
|3||Capitalworks Investment Partners of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
||08.20
|-
|4||TLG Capital of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
||08.20
|-
| ||Total||100.00
|-
|}
Leadership Structure
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of QCIL is Francis X. Kitaka, the first person in East AfricaEast Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
to train as a biochemist
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
. The Managing Director of QCIL is Emmanuel Katongole.