In just a few decades, Algeria has become one of the most important producers of pharmaceuticals in Africa. Last year, more than 2.5 billion euros worth of drugs were produced, according to Euronews, cited by Rador.

About 200 production units cover almost 70% of the country’s needs for generic drugs. A real find in times characterized by ever-increasing tension in the international market.

A good example of this is Frater Razes labs. At the height of the pandemic, the company brought an anticoagulant to the market, which was prescribed to patients with Covid. In Algeria, for the first time, biosimilar medicines are produced, that is, medicines obtained from living organisms.

“Today the world is moving towards biotechnology. We, like other international laboratories, have anticipated this trend through pharmaceutical innovation, focusing our production on biosimilars and the creation of cell culture products.

For 20 years, this product was imported. We ensured the self-sufficiency of our country, Algerian patients,” says Abderrahman Boudiba, secretary general of Frater Razes laboratories.

The laboratory plans to increase exports. Now the priority is to take another step towards self-sufficiency: thanks to its research, the laboratory hopes to soon synthesize organic substances.

“If we carry out this biosynthesis, we will no longer need to import raw materials. We will produce our raw materials, we will guarantee our biosynthesis, practically all production from A to Z,” says Hamza Mansour, general manager of Frater Razes.

Several reforms have led to a paradigm shift in the country, where healthcare products have turned from a simple budget item into a lever for growth.

Biopharm, another private laboratory, has recently started commercializing oncology products and anticancer drugs, the development of which requires complex infrastructure and large investments.

“It is important to know that the pharmaceutical industry is the engine of the general Algerian industry in Algeria. This is a sector that has experienced double-digit growth over the past twenty years. Now the challenge is to acquire the skills to produce new technologies.

Next year, we have the ambition to switch to hormonology. And then, in the near future, to biological drugs,” says Ayadi El-Ghani, director of production at Biopharm.

Biopharm is working on its next products in collaboration with the Algerian scientific and academic community with the aim of developing an industry that is still young on a global scale. The pharmaceutical sector of Algeria covers 70% of the needs of the Algerian population in generic drugs, but how to produce the remaining 30%?”

“The remaining 30% are products that are quite difficult to develop, innovative products.

Everything depends on innovation, which is the key to the success of any industry. To create these products, we need to invest in human resources, equipment, research and development centers,” says Idir Butmer, head of Biopharm’s research and development center.

Health and food security are two priorities for Africa

A few kilometers away, Biocare became the first company in Africa to produce insulin pens, which allowed to reduce imports: the treatment of diabetes is one of the main spending elements of Algerian social security.

“This is a unique technique and technology on the African continent. A fundamental product for Algerian patients and for patients from all over the continent,” says Abdelkader Amraoui, General Manager of Biocare.

To bring its health strategy to life, Algeria relies on the state-owned Saidal laboratory, one of the first in Africa to produce the COVID-19 vaccine Coronavac in collaboration with China.

The company supports the development of an integrated continental industry with specialized regional hubs.

“Our African partners increasingly demand and want a part of the pharmaceutical industry to be present in their countries. And Saidal can provide all this. Health is a priority. And if we start to ensure health security for the population, there is no doubt that food security will be an issue.

These are the most important aspects for the development of Africa and Algeria,” says Fetoum Akatsem, CEO of the Saidal Group.

One challenge will be to convince major drug donors, such as the WHO, to buy African medicines to create added value on the continent.

Photo: Dreamtime