The 16th edition of the International Pharmacy Fair in Algeria, SIPHAL, opened its doors at the Palais des Expositions in Algiers on Wednesday 23 February.
Placed this year under the theme: “The pharmaceutical industry at the service of health”, this event has become over the years an unmissable event for professionals in the pharmaceutical sector.
An opportunity for the Minister of the Pharmaceutical Industry, Lotfi Benbahmed, to take stock of the year 2021 and to review Algeria’s ambitions in terms of local production and export of medicines.
“Today, we note with great pride the very positive development of the national pharmaceutical industry. In a year and a half, production has increased by one billion euros in value, an increase of nearly 30% to reach nearly 66% in value and nearly 75% in volume,” he added. he declared to TSA this Wednesday on the sidelines of the inauguration of this demonstration.
Insisting on the importance of local production, the Minister of Pharmaceutical Industry added: “Today, we see production units that are expanding their ranges and producing local products that were previously imported. This production is increasing in terms of volume to meet our needs”.
An Algerian production, “on which we relied in times of Covid” and “which allowed us to have oxygen masks and a set of medicines”, said the minister.
Taking as an example an anticoagulant, enoxaparin (Lovenox), a drug used in the context of the anti-Covid therapeutic protocol, Mr. Benbahmed explains: “Today we have two producers for enoxaparin. The production capacity is nearly 50 million syringes for the year 2022, while we were importing six million and these products were essential on an international scale”.
For the Minister of the Pharmaceutical Industry, producing locally responds “to the problem of availability and health sovereignty” in Algeria.
“With Covid, all countries in the world are trying to relocate their pharmaceutical industry, even the most powerful countries. Today, more than ever, this axis is driven by the policy of the President of the Republic to be able to produce 70% of our drug needs. We will get there in 2022. The objective will be achieved,” assured the Minister.
“The problem that we had on first-line drugs (for the fight against Covid), and which the PCH (Central Hospital Pharmacy) sometimes lacked, by default of suppliers or by default of regulation, will now be produced in Algeria. We will no longer experience these problems. We have to rely on our own strength,” Benbahmed said.
For the year 2022, the Minister unveils the objectives: “Oncology, insulin, and export”. “The year 2022 will be the year of the production of oncology drugs, and insulin. We have about ten projects. Some in oncology: three have already been completed, including that of Saidal and seven others which should go into production in 2022”.
In order to promote exports of Algerian pharmaceutical products and medical devices to African markets, a trade show, “El Djazair healthcare”, will be organized by the Ministry of Pharmaceutical Industry from May 17 to 19 in Dakar, Senegal. All Algerian pharmaceutical operators are invited to participate.
On this subject, Mr. Benbahmed declared: “We have a meeting in May in Dakar where all the local producers, whether public or private, will be present to present their products to all the purchasing from West Africa. This event will be a launching pad to move resolutely towards production and partnership. We are not talking about conquering markets but about partnership. We believe that there must also be integrated. We will work together. We provide them (West African countries) with good products, products that are accessible and at good prices so that they can take care of their population”.
Another challenge for the year 2022, according to the minister: “We are candidates to host the African Medicines Agency. Algeria is a candidate. We hope that in 2022 we will be able to house its headquarters in Algiers”.
