GSK and Neopharma produce first line of medicines packaged in the UAE

By Staff Report

Published: Wed 8 Jan 2020, 6:25 PM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jan 2020, 8:30 PM

Global science-led healthcare company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Neopharma, a global pharmaceutical company based in the UAE, have announced the launch of the first ever locally produced batch of medicines, which are the result of their partnership to create localisation and manufacturing opportunities in the UAE.
The partnership, announced in April 2019, established Neopharma as GSK's third-party manufacturer for handling the Secondary Packaging process (the final manufacturing stage) for six of GSK's most prescribed medicines in the UAE. This first batch includes 35 thousand packages of medicine, which have been manufactured at Neopharma's manufacturing plant in Abu Dhabi, with plans to have them readily available for UAE patients in a month.
Mohamed Al Hameli, undersecretary of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, said: "Abu Dhabi has set out to become a pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing hub within the Mena region, and this is another great step forward in achieving this aim. In doing so, the country will be better placed to meet the needs of patients through improved access to locallyproduced medicines."
The UK Ambassador to the UAE, Patrick Moody, said: "The launch is a fantastic example of what UK and UAE companies can achieve together. It is bringing jobs and expertise to the UAE, as well as better services for patients. I congratulate the Abu Dhabi Department of Health and the UK Department for International Trade for their support in making this happen. It is another step forward in our shared ambition to work together to be global leaders in healthcare and life sciences."
Sameh Elfangary, general manager at GSK in the Gulf, said: "We are delighted to see the outcomes of our partnership with Neopharma already yielding results. As a result of this collaboration, the batch will reach UAE shelvestwo months earlier than planned.This is the most recent example of GSK's commitment to ensuring a continuous supply of our high quality, safe, and reliable medicines for patients in the UAE to access."
- reporters@khaleejtimes.com