Sunday 09 Mar
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, witnessed the signing ceremony of a strategic cooperation agreement between "Sandoz Egypt" and "Sedico Pharmaceuticals," a subsidiary of the Arab Company for Pharmaceutical and Medical Appliances (ACDIMA), to transfer technology for manufacturing cancer treatment drugs.
The agreement was signed by Dr. Sameh El-Bagoury, Chairman of the Board of Directors of "Sandoz," and Dr. Adel El-Khabiry, Chairman of "Sedico," in the presence of Dr. Ali Al-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority, Dr. Hisham Abu Steit, Chairman of the Unified Procurement Authority, Dr. Mohamed Hassany, Assistant Minister of Health and Population for Public Health Initiatives Projects, and Dr. Olfat Ghorab, Chairman of the Arab Company for Pharmaceutical and Medical Appliances (ACDIMA).
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the
Ministry of Health and Population, explained that Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar
emphasized during the signing ceremony that this agreement represents a
significant strategic step towards enhancing drug security in Egypt, improving
the quality of life for cancer patients, and providing medications at
affordable prices. He added that the agreement contributes to transferring the
advanced manufacturing technology and capabilities of the Swiss company Sandoz
to the Egyptian market, to produce high-quality drugs for the treatment of
lung, colon, breast, blood, and prostate cancers with Egyptian hands, in
implementation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives to localize the
pharmaceutical industry.
Minister of Health pointed out that the agreement will also contribute to improving access to treatments, accelerating the drug production process and research and development efforts, which will lead to the availability of the most advanced treatments, as well as enhancing local production capabilities, reducing dependence on imports, and reducing cost bills, in addition to opening new export markets and achieving the state's sustainable development goals by addressing health challenges and building a sustainable health system.
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug
Authority, stated that the agreement demonstrates Egypt's commitment to
strengthening drug security and bolstering the health sector through the
localization of vital drug manufacturing technology, particularly for chemical,
hormonal, and targeted cancer treatments. He emphasized that the technology
transfer project from Sandoz to Sedico is a crucial step towards Egypt
achieving self-sufficiency in five essential cancer treatment products. These
products have generated over 371 million Egyptian pounds in domestic sales,
while import costs reach 10.7 million US dollars. He affirmed the Drug
Authority's full support for the project, pledging to provide all necessary
technical and procedural assistance to ensure efficient and high-quality
technology transfer, adhering to international standards. The Authority is
actively facilitating regulatory procedures and offering technical guidance to
realize the project's strategic objectives of enhancing local production and
reducing import dependence.
In his address, Dr. Hisham Abu Steit, Chairman of the
Unified Procurement Authority, expressed gratitude to both companies for their
commitment to completing the project and overcoming obstacles. He emphasized
that the agreement will strengthen Egypt's capacity to address future health
challenges, stating, "Domestically manufactured drugs, as agreed upon,
will receive priority in the Egyptian market."
Dr. Olfat Ghorab highlighted the company's commitment to localizing pharmaceutical industries. She expressed gratitude to Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar for his unwavering support and continuous oversight of the project. Dr. Ghorab also emphasized ACDIMA's success in establishing and equipping a cancer drug production facility, which has commenced manufacturing several cancer treatment medications.
