The latest news from Middle East & North African pharma, including Pfizer’s transformation of its Saudi operations; why India is calling for reform of the import process for pharma products in the Arab world; Hikma’s buyup of GSK assets in Egypt and Tunisia; and Tabuk’s biosimilar distribution deal.
Pfizer eyes investment, recruitment, R&D in Saudi Arabia (Arab News)
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1815181/business-economy
Pharma giant transforming its Saudi operations amid COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Pharma exports to Arab nations cumbersome, says Sanjay Bhattacharyya (The Hindu)
“Indian pharma products enjoy great credibility around the world, [but] we do not have the same kind of recognition in most of the Arab world, because the process through which medicines are brought into your countries are very elaborate and cumbersome at times,” said Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary (Arab, OIA & CPV), Ministry of External Affairs.
Hikma plans to buy some of GSK’s assets in Egypt, Tunisia (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-gsk-divestiture-hikma-pharma-idUSKBN29V182
Hikma Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday it was planning to buy GSK’s stake in some assets including the drugmaker’s pharmaceutical, consumer commercialisation and manufacturing business in Egypt and its drugs business in Tunisia.
Prestige Biopharma advances to Middle East, North African markets (Korea BioMed)
http://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=10206
Prestige Biopharma, an antibody-drug developer, has secured a beachhead to enter the Middle East and North African market with HD201, a Herceptin biosimilar, the company said Tuesday.
The company has signed a contract with Tabuk Pharmaceuticals, a multinational pharmaceutical firm based in Saudi Arabia, obtaining a license for some regions, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
The contract comes following Prestige Biopharma’s similar agreement with Cipla, an Indian pharmaceutical firm, completing the entire MENA region’s distribution network, the company said.
UAE withdraws some products of pharma firm (Trade Arabia)
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/HEAL_378477.html
The UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has issued a decision withdrawing a number of pharmaceutical products manufactured by Julphar (Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries) after being found non-compliant with the approved specifications, a statement said.
