India’s Pharmexcill seeking major partnerships in GCC, including Bahrain

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Zainab Zaman

India's Pharmexcill has announced the need for major partnerships with GCC countries, including Bahrain.

The Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcill) is the authorised agency of the Indian government for the promotion of pharmaceutical exports.

They are one of the leading agencies that provide a range of antibiotics, vaccines, and HIV medications to 10 major countries, namely, the US, Belgium, South Africa, the UK, Brazil, the Netherlands, Russia, France, Germany, and Nigeria.

This partnership marks a significant milestone for both parties, as Pharmexcill’s initiative is to secure a recommendation on policy challenges to the Government of India regarding pharmaceutical exports.

The GCC will continue to have access to high-quality and affordable medications from India.

This collaboration is expected to have a positive impact on the healthcare sector in the region, providing patients with a wider range of options for their medical needs.

This will be seen as the alliance between Pharmexcill and GCC highlighting the growing importance of global partnerships in promoting better health and well-being for all.

Facilities

Rollins John, Director of Pharmexcil, says that investments and setting up factories and facilities depend upon the facilities provided by the country, and he addresses his opinion on how to strengthen ties between Bahrain and India.

“If Bahrain is ready to open up investment facilities that include free electricity for a certain time, providing tax-free concessions, or reducing the number of taxes as compared to our foreign competitors, we could negotiate setting up more factories,” John said.

The sector of public health continues to develop by relying on the innovative and developmental practices of the pharmaceutical industry.

To transform and keep improving this industry, it is necessary to establish industrial clusters.

For India, the study “Survey of Pharma Clusters” shows how the evolution of clusters can provide valuable insights and recommendations for future developments, as 87.6 per cent of units in pharma clusters are Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), which are crucial for the supply chain of large industries.

The MSME manufactures and markets formulations in local areas regarding less complex molecules.

The report for 2021 titled “Pharmaceutical Market in the Kingdom of Bahrain & Opportunity for Indian Companies by the Embassy of India, Bahrain” states that the generic drug sector is restricted by Bahrain’s preference for patent drugs due to the current lack of production and strict import regulations.

Mandatory

However, Sumanta Choudhury, Advisor to Pharmexcil, says drug approval is mandatory by the ministry and the process takes a long time due to the standards of the US.

“If the regulatory process is accessible, then our drugs can go to Bahrain. We should have the process to meet the requirements of the people, and we are ready to do that if the regulatory system allows, which we are hoping to have in the next two to three years,” Choudhury said.