Egypt's pharmaceutical sector gearing up to inject $80M to bolster local production

Egypt Today

2 days ago

Cairo – May 29, 2025: Egypt's pharmaceutical industry is preparing to invest approximately LE 4 billion ($80 million) this year to boost domestic production, with 20 new manufacturing lines in the pipeline. The initiative aligns with a national strategy to cut reliance on imported medicines and reinforce the country's local pharmaceutical capabilities.
The expansion will bring the total number of operational pharmaceutical production lines across Egypt to 810, according to Gamal El Leithy, Chairman of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry at the Federation of Egyptian Industries, speaking to Asharq Business.
This increase is expected to play a key role in replacing approximately $3 billion worth of annual pharmaceutical imports with locally produced alternatives.
Local manufacturers currently supply around 91 percent of the country's pharmaceutical needs. The sector has seen robust growth, with total medicine sales surging by over 40 percent last year to reach LE 307 billion.
Pharmaceutical sales in January and February alone climbed to LE 62 billion, up from about LE 40 billion in the same period the previous year.
The growth was largely driven by an uptick in production volume, particularly in packaged medications, according to previous comments by Ali El-Ghamrawy, head of the Egyptian Drug Authority.
Looking ahead, Egypt is aiming to localize the manufacturing of high-priority and specialized medicines. El Leithy said key targets include cancer treatments, immunodeficiency drugs, medical imaging dyes, and infant formula. These efforts form part of a strategic national plan to raise pharmaceutical exports to $3 billion by 2030.
Recent export data suggests that momentum is already building. In the first quarter of 2025, exports of pharmaceutical and medical products rose 25 percent year-on-year, reaching $205 million, according to figures from the General Organization for Export and Import Control.