Arab Finance: The Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) and the Unified Procurement Authority (UPA) have officially launched an initiative aimed at localizing the production of inactive raw materials to ensure the stability of drug supplies and bolster national drug security, as per a statement.
During a press conference on September 4th, Chairman of EDA Ali Ghamrawy and Head of UPA Bahaa El-Din Zidan outlined the details of this unified procurement initiative, which is seen as a significant step toward securing Egypt's pharmaceutical supply chain.
The initiative seeks to localize 280 inactive substances, beginning with 30 inactive materials that account for over 60% of the import bill for these raw materials, which currently totals $100 million annually.
Ghamrawi indicated that this would help reduce the import bill and raise manufacturing quality, as export requirements demand high quality and international approvals.
The EDA is committed to providing technical and procedural support to industry partners to achieve these standards.
Earlier in the day, EDA announced that it resolved 75% of the ongoing medication shortage.