It is of great importance to emphasize the importance of the announcement made by the official spokesman of the Ministry of Health and Population, Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, regarding the launch of the first local production of extended-duration insulin “Glargine”, a collaboration between the Egyptian company Eva Pharma and the international company Eli Lilly.
This event is of great importance in strengthening and supporting the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt, as Abdel-Ghaffar stressed in a telephone interview with the satellite channel “Al-Hayat”. He specified that the launch of this first batch of locally manufactured insulin marks a significant step forward, since for the first time, insulin is produced in the form of pens in Egypt, whereas previously it was only available in the form of injections.
The local production of this vital insulin demonstrates Egypt’s ability to manufacture essential medicines on its soil and meet the needs of the Egyptian insulin market. Previously heavily reliant on imports, this initiative is proving crucial as nearly 15% of the Egyptian population is affected by diabetes.
Interestingly, the prices of imported insulin differ significantly from those of locally produced insulin. This transition is therefore expected to not only improve the economic situation but also ease the financial burden on citizens due to the high costs of imported medicines.
By manufacturing insulin locally, the country will be able to reduce its dependence on foreign exchange, thereby reducing its consumption of hard currency and providing the opportunity to supply insulin at prices that are significantly more affordable than imported products.
The Ministry has also set a concrete goal of localizing the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt by 2025, with ongoing cooperation with major pharmaceutical players such as India and China to transfer their technology and expertise to the country.
This step therefore marks a major turning point in the Egyptian pharmaceutical sector, offering not only economic but also social prospects by meeting the growing needs of diabetic patients in the country.