Dr. Ali El-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), participated in the signing ceremony of the agreement to localize oncology pharmaceutical products manufacturing between Sandoz Global and the Egyptian company SEDICO. The event was attended by Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population; Dr. Hisham Stait, Chairman of the Unified Procurement Authority; Dr. Sameh El-Bagoury, Chairman of Sandoz Pharmaceuticals; Dr. Olfat Ghorab, Chairman of the Arab Company for Drug Industries and Medical Appliances (ACDIMA); Dr. Adel El-Khabiry, Chairman of SEDICO and the Economic Attaché of the Swiss Embassy in Egypt. The signing took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health and Population in the New Administrative Capital.
During his speech, the Chairman of the EDA emphasized that the agreement reflects Egypt's commitment to enhancing pharmaceutical security and supporting the healthcare sector through the localization of biological products manufacturing technologies, especially chemotherapy, hormonal, and targeted oncology treatments. He highlighted that the technology transfer project from Sandoz Global to SEDICO marks a significant milestone in Egypt’s journey towards achieving self-sufficiency in five essential oncology pharmaceutical products, which have recorded a market value exceeding EGP 371 million, with an import bill amounting to USD 10.7 million.
He further explained that this journey began in March 2023 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and strategic collaboration. Several key milestones followed, requiring significant efforts, leading to the official launch of this ambitious project. This partnership not only represents a qualitative leap in the pharmaceutical industry rather, it is a testament to Egypt's ability to embrace and develop the latest technologies in specialized pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The Chairman reaffirmed the EDA's full commitment to supporting this project by providing all necessary technical and procedural assistance to ensure the swift and efficient transfer of manufacturing technology in accordance with the highest global standards of quality and efficacy. He emphasized that the EDA has been actively facilitating regulatory procedures and offering technical guidance to ensure the project achieves its strategic goals of enhancing local production and reducing dependency on imports.
He pointed out that the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), in line with its regulatory and oversight role, places great emphasis on strengthening partnerships with leading global and local companies to ensure the availability of safe, effective, and affordable medicines for Egyptian citizens, in accordance with the highest international quality standards. He emphasized that today, we are witnessing the fruits of these efforts through this ambitious project, which enhances the competitiveness of the Egyptian pharmaceutical industry at both regional and international levels. Furthermore, this strategic collaboration aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030, which places the healthcare sector at the forefront of national priorities.
The partnership aims to ensure the continuous availability of vital pharmaceutical products in the local market, underscoring the importance of ongoing coordination between the EDA and pharmaceutical companies to strengthen pharmaceutical security in accordance with the commitment of SEDICO and Sandoz Global to support the Egyptian healthcare sector, enhance local manufacturing capabilities reinforcing Egypt’s national strategy for pharmaceutical localization.