Quality Chemical Industries Limited

{{Short description|Pharmaceutical manufacturing company in Uganda}}

{{not confuse|Quality Chemicals Limited}} {{Infobox company | name = Quality Chemical Industries Limited | logo = | former_name = Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited - CiplaQCIL | type = Public<br/>USE: QCIL | industry = Pharmaceutical Industry | area_served = Africa | key_people = '''Emmanuel Katongole'''<br/>Executive Chairman<br/>'''Ajay Kumar Pal'''<br/>Chief Executive Officer | products = Pharmaceuticals | founded = {{start date and years ago|2005|07|10}} | revenue = {{profit}}:USh265.3 billion (US$70.9 million) (March 2024)<ref name="2024R">{{cite web |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/uganda-drug-maker-dividend-up-120-percent-4626982 |title=Uganda Drug Maker Dividend Up 120 Percent |work=The EastAfrican |date=20 May 2024 |author=Kabona Esiara |access-date=20 May 2024 |location=Nairobi, Kenya |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520060542/https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/business/uganda-drug-maker-dividend-up-120-percent-4626982 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | assets = USh232.0 billion (US$60.1 million) (March 2024)<ref name="DataR"/> | num_employees = 580+ (2025) | location = Luzira, Kampala, Uganda | website = {{url|www.qcil.com}} }}

'''Quality Chemical Industries Limited''' (QCIL), formerly '''Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited''' (CiplaQCIL) is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company, established in Uganda in 2005. The company is the largest producer of World Health Organization (WHO) pre-qualified HIV/AIDS and malaria treatments in the region. According to a 2007 published report, QCIL was the only company in Africa to manufacture triple-combination antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.<ref>{{cite web | last=Wendo |access-date=23 June 2014 | url=http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1218091/arvs-production-starts-monday | title=ARVs Production Starts Monday | newspaper=New Vision | date=6 October 2007 | first=Charles| location=Kampala}}</ref> QCIL currently produces TLD (a combination of tenofovir, lamivudine and dolutegravir), the latest first-line treatment used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. QCIL also manufactures antimalarials (ACTs), including Lumartem, containing artemisinin and lumefantrine,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/projects/qualitychem | title=Quality Chemical Industries, Uganda | first=Data | last=Key |date=2011 | publisher=Pharmaceutical Technology |access-date=23 June 2014}}</ref> and the Hepatitis B generic medicines Texavir and Zentair.<ref>{{cite web | last=CiplaQCi | title=Timeline & Milestones | date=2015 | url=http://www.ciplaqcil.co.ug/about-us/founders-message | access-date=10 April 2016 | publisher=Ciplaqcil.co.ug | archive-date=2 April 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402123547/http://www.ciplaqcil.co.ug/about-us/founders-message/ | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=CiplaQCi | access-date=10 April 2016 | url=https://www.ciplaqcil.co.ug/download/Komboa%20Newsletter%20Vol%2011%20for%20Mail%20Final.pdf | date=December 2015 | page=4 | publisher=Ciplaqcil.co.ug | title=Komboa Newsletter }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The company also manufactures antibacterials, anti-hypertensives, vasodilators, anti-emetics, antibiotics and antidiabetics.

==Location== QCIL's pharmaceutical manufacturing plant is located in Luzira, an industrial area in Nakawa Division in south-eastern Kampala. The plant is approximately {{convert|9|km|0}}, by road, south-east of Kampala's central business district.<ref>{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Uganda+Post+Office,+Plot+35+Kampala+Road,+Kampala+P.O.BOX+7106,+KAMPALA/Cipla+Quality+Chemical+Industries+Ltd,+Industrial+Park,,+Port+Bell+Rd,+Kampala/@0.3166714,32.576942,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x177dbc808cc2ab43:0x7dd3e9e39634c3b!2m2!1d32.58138!2d0.3137559!1m5!1m1!1s0x177dbea4d262ebad:0x2ab2eed034d20336!2m2!1d32.6393947!2d0.3049369!3e0|title=Distance between Post Office Building, Kampala Road, Kampala, Central Region, Uganda and Cipla Quality Chemicals Industries Limited, Port Bell Road, Kampala, Central Region, Uganda |access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref> The coordinates of the plant are 0°18'17.0"N, 32°38'22.0"E (Latitude:0.304723; Longitude:32.639436).<ref>{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/0%C2%B018'17.0%22N+32%C2%B038'22.0%22E/@0.3051713,32.638086,331m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d0.304723!4d32.639436 |title=Location of Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited Pharmaceutical Factory, Luzira, Nakawa Division, Kampala, Uganda |access-date=11 July 2016}}</ref>

==Overview== As of 31 March 2024, the company's total assets were valued at USh232.0 billion (US$60.1 million), with associated EBITDA USh188.199 billion USh53.7 billion (US$14.4 million).<ref name="DataR">{{cite web |url=https://www.use.or.ug/sites/default/files/QUALITY%20CHEMICAL%20INDUSTRIES%20LIMITED%20FY24%20Announcement.pdf |title=Quality Chemical Industries Limited: Audited Financial Statements For The Twelve Months Ended 31 March 2024 |date=9 May 2024 |work=Uganda Securities Exchange |access-date=20 May 2024 |author=Quality Chemical Industries Limited |location=Kampala, Uganda |archive-date=20 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240520134842/https://www.use.or.ug/sites/default/files/QUALITY%20CHEMICAL%20INDUSTRIES%20LIMITED%20FY24%20Announcement.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History== {{More citations needed|date=July 2025}} In 2005, Quality Chemical Industries Limited was incorporated as a joint venture between, inter alia, Messrs. Emmanuel Katongole, Frederick Mutebi Kitaka and George Baguma (the Sponsors) and Cipla Limited (Cipla). The factory was commissioned in 2007.

In 2010, the company became the first WHO-prequalified facility in the region. Relevant products, such as ARVs and ACTs were also WHO-prequalified. In the same year, the company became the first in Africa to supply Global Fund with ACTs.

In 2014, Cipla acquired control of the company, and the company changed its name to Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CiplaQCIL).

In 2016, the company was converted to a public company. Two years later, in 2018, the company listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange, offering shares to individual and institutional investors in an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

In 2019, the company commissioned a new warehouse with a 5,000-pallet capacity. This was followed by the commissioning of a new laboratory in 2020.

In November 2023, Africa Capitalworks (ACW) acquired Cipla's 51.18% interest in the issued ordinary shares of the company. On 15 February 2024, the company changed its name to '''Quality Chemical Industries Limited ('''QCIL).<ref name="RebR">{{cite web |author=Deogratius Wamala |date=26 February 2024 |title=Quality Chemical drops Cipla name |url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/markets/quality-chemical-drops-cipla-name--4537130 |access-date=27 February 2024 |work=Daily Monitor |location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref>

As of March 2024, with a production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion pills per year, QCIL was trading with 13 African countries and had regulatory approval in 31 African countries.

QCIL announced record earnings and dividends in 2024.

As of 31 March 2024, the shareholding in the business was as follows:<ref name="SharesR">{{cite web |author=Deogratius Wamala |date=23 November 2023 |title=Delayed Cipla exit plan costs Quality Chemical Shs20b |url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/markets/delayed-cipla-exit-plan-costs-quality-chemical-shs20b--4442646 |access-date=26 November 2023 |work=Daily Monitor |location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0.5em auto" |+ Quality Chemical Industries Limited (QCIL) Shareholding ! Shareholder !! Domicile !! Ownership (%) !! Notes |- | Africa Capitalworks SSA 3 ||Mauritius|| {{center|51.18}}||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | Amistad Limited || United Kingdom||{{center|11.51}}||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | Capitalworks SSA 1 || Mauritius||{{center|11.15}}||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | Government Employees Pension Fund || Uganda||{{center|8.54}}||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | NSSF Uganda|| Uganda ||{{center|7.38}}||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | Emmanuel Katongole|| Uganda ||{{center|2.79}}||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | Fredrick Mutebi Kitaka|| Uganda ||{{center|2.79}}||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | George William Baguma || Uganda ||{{center|2.79}} ||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | Joseph Yiga || Uganda ||{{center|0.11}} ||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | Others || ||{{center|1.76}} ||<ref name="SharesR" /> |- | '''Total''' || ||{{center|'''100.00''' }}|| |- |}

==Governance== Emmanuel Katongole is the Chairman of QCIL. He succeeded the late Francis Kitaka (1925 - 2021), one of the founding members and the first biochemist trained in East Africa. Katongole was previously the Managing Director of CiplaQCIL. The Chief Executive Officer of QCIL is Ajay Kumar Pal.<ref name="LeadR">{{cite web|url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/category/news/cipla-qcil-pays-first-dividend-to-shareholder-NV_141104 |title=Cipla-QCIL Pays First Dividend To Shareholders After 4 years |date=19 August 2022 |work=New Vision |author=Aloysius Kasoma | location=Kampala, Uganda |access-date=26 October 2024}}</ref>

==Developments== As of October 2024, as reported by the Daily Monitor, QCIL was contemplating building a new US$50 million production line to manufacture anti-TB and anti-cancer medication. Potential willing funders include Standard Chartered Bank, USAID and the government of Italy.<ref name="SetupR">{{cite web| work=Daily Monitor | url=https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/markets/quality-chemical-to-set-up-50m-tb-cancer-drugs-plant-4792984 |title=Quality Chemical to set up $50m TB, cancer drugs plant |date=14 October 2024 |author=Deogratius Wamala |access-date=26 October 2024 | location=Kampala, Uganda}}</ref>

==See also== * Kampala Capital City Authority

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/18250-quality-chemicals-to-manufacture-special-arvs.html QCIL To Manufacture Special ARVs] * [http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/590861 Museveni Opens AIDS Drugs Factory] * [https://www.use.or.ug/sites/default/files/QCIL%20Change%20of%20name%20Announcement.pdf/ Notification of Change of Name]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * [https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/kumar-pharmaceuticals-in-uganda-alive-kicking-4490432/ Kumar: Pharmaceuticals in Uganda alive, kicking]

Category:Pharmaceutical companies of Uganda Category:Manufacturing companies of Uganda Category:Luzira Category:Nakawa Division Category:Pharmaceutical companies established in 2005 Category:2005 establishments in Uganda Category:Companies based in Kampala Category:Ugandan brands