Duopharma Biotech secures halal cert for anaemia treatment
KUALA LUMPUR: Duopharma Biotech Bhd has achieved another milestone in the halal pharmaceutical sector with the halal certification of a biosimilar product used to treat anaemia in patients with chronic renal failure.
The certification, awarded by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), strengthens Duopharma's position at the forefront of Malaysia's halal pharmaceutical sector.
Group Managing Director Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar said the product is used in adult and paediatric patients undergoing haemodialysis or the predialysis stage. It is currently supplied to both public and private healthcare facilities nationwide.
'This certification marks a key advancement in the company's biologics journey and will further motivate our efforts to provide consumers and patients with access to medicines and therapies that are assured safe and effective, high in quality, hygienic and halal from the start,' Leonard Ariff said referring to the product which is manufactured at Duopharma's plant in Klang.
He added that the certification is timely, given the rising number of dialysis patients in Malaysia.
The Ministry of Health projects that over 106,000 Malaysians may require dialysis by 2040, with more than 10,000 new cases annually if current trends persist.
Duopharma has been a pioneer in the biologics, having launched Malaysia's first Phase 3 clinical trial for an Epoetin Alfa biosimilar in 2014 with South Korea's Pangen Biotech Inc.
In 2018, it became the first Malaysian company to install a biologic pre-filled syringe production line.
The company also promotes the halal pharmaceutical agenda globally through the annual Halal Pharmaceuticals Symposium, which it has hosted since 2016, bringing together global experts, regulators and industry leaders to advance halal integration in the healthcare system.
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