Pilot operation of Egypt's 1st cancer drug factory begins

CAIRO – 21 February 2023: Chairwoman of ACDIMA International Olfat Ghorab issued a press statement Tuesday announcing the beginning of the pilot operation of the $1-billion worth factory specialized in cancer drugs in collaboration with an Italian firm.

Ghorab noted that the purpose of establishing the factory – named SEDICO Pharmaceutical - is achieving self-sufficiency of those strategic drugs, and that the surplus would be exported to the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.

On his side, CEO of SEDICO Pharmaceutical Ali al-Ghamrawy underlined that the number of patients diagnosed with cancer globally exceeded 20 million in 2021, and that it claimed the lives of 10 million others. He added that the death rate is expected to become 19.3 million in 2025.

As for Egypt, the number of patients diagnosed with the disease per annum is 166,000. That is why it is a must to locally produce the classic and advanced protocols of treatment, Ghamrawy stressed.   

The CEO clarified that the factory is a four-story building that spans over 1,250 square meters and produces 10 million vials per year. The plant is expected to gradually produce 70 products, and accomplish sales worth LE1.358 billion over the next three years. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy to mention that the products would be sold at prices that are less by 30-60 percent than those of imported counterparts.

Currently, talks are underway to strike deals with global pharmaceutical companies for latest technology transfer, the statement highlighted.