Covington has one of the largest and most comprehensive life sciences industry-focused practices in the world and more than 40 years of direct experience in Africa, including in the life sciences sector. With our team’s regulatory knowledge and collaborative work with the firm’s broad array of corporate, litigations and investigations practices, we help clients navigate the complex regulatory landscape on the continent.
Our clients, ranging from startup ventures to multinational corporations and trade associations, trust us with their most challenging business issues.
Cross-Industry Expertise
Our team includes more than 120 lawyers and policy advisors who devote their time to addressing issues for clients operating across these sectors:
We advise clients on a wide array of practice areas in Africa, including:
- Joint ventures
- Research and development
- Regulatory approvals
- Market access, advertising and commercialization
- Product life cycle
- Data privacy
- Global supply chain considerations and relocation strategies
- Public policy and government affairs
- Intellectual property and commercial goals
Deep Understanding of Regulatory and Public Policy Frameworks
Our team has advised life sciences companies operating in Africa on issues that are a critical part of the evolving policy and regulatory landscape. We are able to seek guidance directly from international bodies and regulators with firsthand knowledge of the multifaceted life sciences regulatory environment, so we can provide our clients with the most up-to-date information and analysis.
Further differentiating our team is our ability to call upon our in-depth experience handling public policy and government affairs matters on the African continent.
Anti-corruption Compliance and Investigations
We have experienced anti-corruption compliance and investigations professionals on the ground in Johannesburg, and a broader practice with extensive expertise on anti-corruption compliance in the life sciences sector, we are well-positioned to help companies operating in Africa to navigate the complex anti-corruption and related compliance challenges that they face on the continent.
Emerging and Mission-critical Issues in Africa
Our teams provide insight, analysis, and counseling on key life sciences issues in Africa, including:
- The growing influence of international bodies and regulatory processes, such as the WHO and its pre-qualification and Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CPP) schemes
- New pan-African initiatives and regulators, such as the African Union and the African Medicines Agency
- The importance of international non-governmental organizations and arrangements, including for the supply of vaccines
- Preparation for, and responding to, pandemics and other actual or potential public health emergencies, including COVID-19 and Ebola
- Conditional marketing authorizations, including rolling reviews/accelerated assessment options
- Importation and supply of unregistered or non-compliant medicines and medical devices
- Implementation of digital health solutions
- Liability for drug-related injury with respect to unregistered medicines
- Government contracting and public procurement considerations with respect to unregistered medicines
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