The official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar announced details on the extended-release for the first locally produced batch of insulin “Glargine”, in cooperation between the Egyptian company Eva Pharma and the international company Eli Lilly.
During a phone interview with the “Al-Hayat” satellite channel, on Tuesday evening, Abdel-Ghaffar said that launching the first batch of locally manufactured insulin is an important step towards enhancing and support the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt.
This move is a milestone, he noted, as for the first time insulin is being produced as pens inside Egypt, after it was previously produced only in the form of injections.
This achievement reflects Egypt’s ability to manufacture vital medicines locally and meet the needs of the Egyptian market for insulin, he said, noting that this industry was previously heavily dependent on imports.
Approximately 15 percent of Egyptians suffer from diabetes, which makes the provision of local insulin an urgent necessity to meet the needs of patients in Egypt.
There is a noticeable difference between the prices of imported and local insulin, he explained, as this step contributes to improving the economic situation and reducing the financial burden on citizens due to the high prices of imported medicines.
He added that manufacturing insulin locally will contribute to reducing dependence on foreign currencies, thus reducing the hard currency consumption bill, in addition to providing insulin at much lower prices compared to imported products.
The ministry is working to implement tangible steps to achieve the goal of localizing the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt by the end of 2025, he said.
There is also ongoing cooperation with some major countries in the pharmaceutical industry such as India and China to transfer their technology and expertise to Egypt, he added.
