Dr. Ali El-Ghamrawy Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) and Dr. Tamer El Hossieny, Vice Chairman of the EDA, participated in the 8th Pharma Forum, one of the most prominent scientific and professional gatherings in the Arab world’s pharmaceutical sector. This year’s edition was held under the theme ""One Health Approach"" and was organized under the patronage of the EDA and the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement, Medical Supply, and the Management of Medical Technology (UPA). The event was attended by a distinguished group of experts and leaders, including Dr. Hisham Stait, Chairman of the UPA; Dr. Hala Zaid, Regional Director of Access Health International; Dr. Samer Al-Refaie, President of the Arab Association of Pharmacy Progress (AAPP) and Secretary-General of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP); Professor Dr. Azza Agha, former Vice President of the National Authority for Quality Assurance & Accreditation of Education(NAQAAE); Dr. Yasin Ragaey, Assistant Chairman of the EDA for Media Affairs & Investment Support and Supervisor of the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Care; Dr. Osama Hatem, Associate to the EDA Chairman for Policy and International Cooperation and Supervisor of the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Policy and Market Access; Dr. Mohamed Sweilem, Cluster Head of North Africa and Egypt at Viatris; Dr. Mohamed Heshamat, Chairman of Arcera GenMed Egypt and General Manager of Amoun; and Dr. Tamer Jardaneh, Vice President and General Manager of Hikma Egypt and Sudan.
The forum focused on advancing Egypt’s national strategy for localizing the pharmaceutical industry by integrating modern manufacturing technologies, updating industry standards, offering strategic incentives, and removing barriers to investment for both international and local companies. In his address, Dr. El-Ghamrawy expressed his appreciation for participating alongside a distinguished group of scientists and policymakers in a conference built around the One Health Approach. He noted that this framework, adopted by the World Health Organization, provides a comprehensive strategy for linking human, animal, and environmental health. This integrated approach strengthens efforts to achieve sustainable health outcomes and reflects the interconnected nature of current global health challenges.
He stated that today’s public health issues are complex and multifaceted, extending beyond traditional sectoral boundaries. These include the spread of infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety, the sustainability of pharmaceutical supply chains, water and energy security, and the protection of ecosystems. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action across all sectors and disciplines.
He explained that the conference serves as a constructive platform for presenting ideas and offering scientific and practical proposals that enhance the efficiency and quality of healthcare services, ultimately benefiting our beloved nation. This year’s conference addresses one of the most critical priorities of the Egyptian state: the localization of pharmaceutical manufacturing. This stems from Egypt’s regional and global leadership, as it is the first African country to achieve Maturity Level 3 in the regulation of vaccines and medicines. Egypt is one of only 18 countries worldwide to attain one of the highest maturity levels according to World Health Organization standards. This achievement reflects the existence of a stable, integrated, and well-functioning pharmaceutical regulatory system in the Arab Republic of Egypt, and reinforces the Egyptian Drug Authority’s position as a trusted reference regulatory body, committed to advancing the national pharmaceutical system.
He further emphasized that the Egyptian Drug Authority has made the localization of pharmaceutical manufacturing a top strategic priority, launching a series of ambitious initiatives to ensure stable medicine supply chains and strengthen national pharmaceutical security. Leveraging Egypt’s significant industrial capacity, which includes over 170 pharmaceutical factories, 11 of which are internationally accredited by organizations such as the WHO and EMA, the country operates 2,370 production lines, including 986 dedicated to pharmaceutical manufacturing. This industrial base has enabled Egypt to achieve an impressive pharmaceutical self-sufficiency rate of 91.3%.
In support of this vision, the Authority actively fosters local and international partnerships to facilitate the transfer of advanced manufacturing technologies. These collaborations not only enhance the capabilities of Egypt’s national workforce but also contribute to a more resilient and innovative pharmaceutical future. Through these efforts, 129 pharmaceutical products have already been localized, representing an original import bill of 633.7 million US dollars. Additionally, the Authority is working toward localizing approximately 400 active pharmaceutical ingredients across 30 therapeutic categories, currently valued at around 1.57 billion US dollars in imports. In parallel, the Authority is preparing to introduce a set of robust investment incentives aimed at encouraging industrial partners and creating a regulatory environment that promotes innovation and global competitiveness.
He went on to stress that these efforts must go hand in hand with the pivotal role played by our esteemed researchers and scientists in localizing pharmaceutical manufacturing and fostering innovation in the sector. They serve as the vital link between scientific research and industrial application, discovering active compounds, designing pharmaceutical formulations, developing advanced production technologies, and finding technical solutions to challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry. Their contributions are key to improving supply chains, reducing reliance on imports, enhancing national pharmaceutical security, and strengthening our ability to respond to emerging health challenges.
Speaking about the role of scientific research in advancing the pharmaceutical industry, he pointed out that statistics from the world's top 10 pharmaceutical powers, led by the United States, whose scientists have developed 11,455 pharmaceutical products from discovery to market, demonstrate what is possible. China follows with 7,032 products, and South Korea with 3,386. He affirmed that Egypt possesses outstanding scientific minds and strong research capabilities, and now has a real opportunity to follow in the footsteps of these leading nations.
In conclusion, he emphasized that the conference represents a valuable opportunity for pharmacists from various specialties to exchange knowledge and expertise, build new partnerships, strengthen collaboration, learn from one another’s experiences, and work collectively toward achieving more integrated, safer, and sustainable health systems.
The agenda of the 8th Pharma Forum included a key panel discussion featuring Dr. Tamer El Hossieny, Vice President of the EDA, during which several core issues concerning the future of pharmaceutical localization in Egypt were addressed. Chief among them was a discussion of attractive investment incentives for bringing in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, as proposed by the Authority, and the need for a unified roadmap integrating incentives from all relevant stakeholders under one national framework.
This event comes as part of ongoing coordination between the Egyptian Drug Authority and the Arab Association of Pharmacy Progress to ensure integrated support for Egypt’s healthcare sector and to strengthen the country's ability to address pharmaceutical challenges efficiently and sustainably.

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