France's Sanofi helps Iraq develop pharmaceutical industry
During his participation in a scientific workshop on biosimilar medicines and intellectual property, Deputy Health Minister Hani al-Oqabi explained that the agreement reached with Sanofi is not limited to the pharmaceutical industry but includes other important areas, according to the state-run news agency (INA).
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has lately been focusing on developing collaboration with international enterprises and seeking investments to build industries in Iraq, according to al-Oqabi.
The prime minister's advisor on industry and private sector development, Hammoudi al-Lami, revealed earlier that AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge, is thinking of building a pharmaceutical facility in Iraq.
In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), al-Lami explained that Arab and foreign companies are eager to set up businesses in the Iraqi market.
The Iraqi official indicated that the US multinational healthcare company Baxter, as well as businesses in the Gulf States, had also expressed a desire to become part of the Iraqi market.
The Iraqi Ministry of Health revealed in late April that it signed an agreement with European companies to establish an insulin production plant in the northern Iraqi province of Nineveh.
According to INA, the agreement was signed with a Polish firm, one of the top four producers of insulin worldwide, and a German corporation.
The idea to produce insulin in Iraq that meets all European requirements was sparked by the Iraqi government's support for pharmaceutical and health industry initiatives.
The steps align with the objectives outlined in the Iraqi government's agenda, which emphasizes the development of the country's health sector.
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