Neopharma to Partner with Pfizer in United Arab Emirates Production

United Arab Emirates-based Neopharma said it had entered a partnership with Pfizer to locally manufacture selected pharmaceutical products in the UAE, in an effort to meet the unmet needs of patients in the region.

Under the partnership, Neopharma will begin manufacturing cardiovascular medicines related to hypertension and heart diseases. Production will then move to anti-inflammatory, pain management, women’s health and anti-infective drugs, the companies said. The exact drugs were not specified.

Neopharma said its factory in Mussafah will produce the medicines, which will be available in the UAE starting next year. The products eventually will be rolled out to the rest of Neopharma’s overseas markets, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Kenya and Afghanistan, the company said.

The companies hope the partnership will help lower drug costs in the UAE.

“The main advantage of the agreement is the assured availability of medicines, regardless of factors like international exchange rate fluctuations. The price of the medicines we produce will be set after discussions with the ministry of Health, but I can say that they will definitely be much less than the present cost,” said Dr. B.R. Shetty, CEO of Neopharma said.

Pfizer said the companies were awaiting approval from the UAE Ministry of Health, and would then begin production.

Neopharma said it currently produces about 100 different drugs at its Musaffah facility. The firm has previously entered into partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies, such as Merck Serono. — Kellen Owings

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