Latest news with #drugmanufacturing
Zawya
21 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Egyptian Drug Authority discusses plans for joint pharmaceutical plant in Zambia
Egypt - Ali El-Ghamrawi, head of the Egyptian Drug Authority, held talks with a joint delegation from Egyptian firm Wadi El-Nile and Zambian developer Pendulum Estates Ltd as part of Egypt's strategy to expand into African markets and strengthen international pharmaceutical partnerships. Discussions centred on plans to establish a joint drug manufacturing plant in Zambia. The initiative aligns with Egypt's broader vision to deepen industrial integration across Africa, transfer expertise and technology, boost regional production capacity, encourage pharmaceutical investment, and enhance regulatory cooperation with African counterparts. It also aims to reinforce Egypt's position as a regional pharmaceutical hub and contribute to securing medicine supplies across the continent. During the meeting, El-Ghamrawi highlighted that localising pharmaceutical production in African countries remains a strategic priority for the Authority. He described the African market as a key target for Egyptian pharmaceutical expansion, both to improve access to essential medicines and support local industry development. Mohamed Dabour, Chairperson of Wadi El-Nile, emphasised the importance of the partnership with the Zambian side, describing the project as a major milestone in the company's plans to expand across Africa and help localise pharmaceutical production on a continental scale. John Zulu, Chairperson of Pendulum Estates Ltd, welcomed the cooperation with Egypt and described the partnership as transformative for Zambia's healthcare system, enabling the domestic production of high-quality medicines to meet local demand. The delegation praised the Drug Authority's strategic leadership and its advanced regulatory and technical expertise, which they said has helped elevate Egypt's pharmaceutical sector both regionally and internationally. They noted that collaboration with the Authority would provide vital technical support, advisory services, and regulatory facilitation needed for the success of the proposed joint plant in Zambia — ultimately enhancing access to quality medicines and supporting health security across Africa. The partnership reflects the Drug Authority's commitment to fostering deeper cooperation with African nations and backing pharmaceutical investments that promote industry growth and deliver tangible health benefits across the continent. © 2024 Daily News Egypt. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
AstraZeneca Plans to Invest $50 Billion in U.S. by 2030
AstraZeneca AZN -0.60%decrease; red down pointing triangle said it plans to invest $50 billion in the U.S. by 2030, including a proposal for a new drug substance manufacturing center focused on weight-loss drugs. The U.K. biopharmaceutical giant said Monday the multi-billion dollar facility would produce drug substances for its weight-management and metabolic portfolio, including oral GLP-1s.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Biogen beefs up North Carolina manufacturing ahead of potential drug tariff storm
July 21 (Reuters) - Biogen (BIIB.O), opens new tab will invest $2 billion more in its existing manufacturing plants in North Carolina, the drugmaker said on Monday, as it seeks to expand in the U.S. amid President Donald Trump's tariff threats. Biogen joins major drugmakers such as Eli Lilly(LLY.N), opens new tab, Roche (ROG.S), opens new tab and Merck, who have all announced investments in the U.S. as the industry braces for potential import levies. Drugs have so far been exempt from Trump's reciprocal tariffs, but he has often argued that separate levies are needed to bolster domestic manufacturing and avoid relying on other countries for medicine supply. Earlier this month, Trump said the tariffs may be delayed, but could be as high as 200%. On Monday, Biogen said it will invest in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park (RTP), the home of its largest manufacturing plants that produce key therapies for multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. The investments will expand Biogen's ability to develop and produce certain gene-targeting therapies, and add fill‑finish facilities, automation and artificial intelligence, the company said. The drugmaker has invested about $10 billion in its North Carolina manufacturing to date. It has seven factories in the state with an eighth expected to start working in the second half of 2025.
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
Neighbours shocked after dad and son charged with manufacturing and smuggling guns
Social Sharing Residents of a suburban cul-de-sac in east London say they were shocked when heavily-armed police officers in tactical gear descended on their quiet street and later laid drug manufacturing and smuggling charges against a father and son who had lived on the street for years. The police raid happened May 29 on Fundy Avenue, with an "intense and sudden" police presence before dawn that ended with police seizing home-made guns, firearms parts, a 3D printer and an assortment of drugs. "It happened very early in the morning," neighbour Alex Raemisch said. "We saw the lights, sirens, and lots of activity." The small circle of houses is a tight-knit community, according to another neighbour Rachel Chew. There's a communal basketball net for the kids on the street, and the neighbours have garage sales and barbecues together, she added. "This place is a beautiful spot in the evenings and on weekends," she said. The surprise raid included tactical officers and police dogs swarming the small bungalow at around 5 a.m., neighbours said. Benito Schiavone, 33, and his father, Modesto Dino Schiavone, 57, are now facing charges related to smuggling and manufacturing prohibited weapons and devices. They will also be charged with drug possession when they appear in court, officials said. When CBC News knocked on the accused men's door, the older Schiavone answered but declined to speak. He returned home the same day he and his son were arrested, according to neighbours. The two men were rarely seen by neighbours, and the home belonged to another family member, Chew said, adding she was angry that illegal activity could have been happening next door. "You don't know what that might bring," she said. "This is our little hub…and I think that that's just kind of an insult to what we're trying to build together." The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) worked with the London police to investigate the two men and to conduct the raid. The two men were initially flagged in October 2024 when packages containing a silencer and a 50-round magazine were intercepted at a mail processing facility in Mississauga, officials said. While the raid came as a shock to the neighbours, similar searches happen about six times a year in suburban homes, said Abid Morgan, the director of the CBSA's Ontario firearm smuggling enforcement team. "It's just your average neighborhood where we see a lot of this type of firearms manufacturing taking place, especially utilizing 3D printers," he explained. "From time to time, narcotics are seized as well." Starting in 2019, CBSA began to see 3D-printed weapons appear regularly, Morgan said, adding that as the printing technology advances and is able to make increasingly capable weapons, it's becoming fairly commonplace. While the exact number of firearms seized during the Fundy Avenue raid is unknown, it was on the "upper end of average," Morgan said. The items seized included: privately manufactured firearms firearm parts a 3D printer 35 g cocaine 24.5 g carfentanil oxycodone and boric acid The accused are scheduled to appear in London court in July, facing eight counts each of unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm, four counts each of smuggling prohibited devices, four counts each of unauthorized importation of a prohibited device, and two counts each of manufacturing a prohibited firearm.
LBCI
15-07-2025
- LBCI
Inside Lebanon's biggest drug lab: Lebanese Army tightens grip on Bekaa drug lords
Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Lebanese Army Intelligence has dismantled what is described as the largest drug manufacturing facility uncovered to date in the Bekaa region, operated by one of the most notorious narcotics traffickers in Lebanon and the Middle East. The operation, conducted in the town of Yammouneh, revealed a sprawling underground drug lab outfitted with hidden tunnels, camouflaged walls, and high-tech equipment. The drug dealer, identified as Jalal Sh., whose criminal career began in 2010 in Beirut, first entered the drug world by importing raw materials and specialized equipment for captagon production, which he then sold to major manufacturers. He later moved his operations to Yammouneh, where he established his own production network. Security officials say he recently monopolized the production of crystal captagon in Lebanon, employing a network of individuals from multiple nationalities—including a European expert wanted by Interpol — to oversee the complex chemical processes. Over the years, the military has raided several of his facilities, seizing large quantities of drugs, machinery, and precursor chemicals. Despite an intensified crackdown on the drug trade, Jalal remained one of the few high-profile traffickers able to maintain operations, partly due to his advanced manufacturing capabilities and his role in supplying pills to other dealers for $1,000 per crate. Security agencies have linked Jalal to several wanted narcotics traffickers, including Ali and Hassan Sh., Hamza and Mohammad Jaafar, and Malek A. His network was behind numerous professionally concealed shipments of drugs intercepted before reaching international markets. Monday's raid marks a significant blow to Lebanon's narcotics underworld. The Lebanese Armed Forces and Army Intelligence have vowed to continue their campaign against drug manufacturing and smuggling networks. In 2025 alone, they have uncovered 20 drug labs and seized more than 13,300 kilograms of captagon pills.
