The Egyptian Drug Authority announced significant achievements in all areas of its work, as pharmaceutical exports surpassed the one billion dollar mark for the first time in its history. The authority stated that the number of licensed pharmaceutical factories has reached 191, with a total of 799 production lines, compared to only 130 factories and 500 production lines in 2014, reflecting a growth rate of 37% and 60% respectively. This growth has positively impacted the Egyptian drug market, achieving 94% self-sufficiency of total sales in the Egyptian pharmaceutical market, which amounts to 4 billion packages annually. Only 6% of sales are covered by imported finished products.
Tamer Essam, the head of the Egyptian Drug Authority, noted that the strategic plan and executive measures to deepen the localization of the pharmaceutical industry and reduce the burden of imports have led to a decrease in the import bill for the Egyptian pharmaceutical sector. By the end of November 2023, the reduction is approximately 500 million dollars compared to the import volume in 2022, and 700 million dollars compared to imports in 2021. This has also reflected on Egyptian exports, as the Egyptian Drug Authority, in coordination with the General Authority for Export and Import Control, announced that as of the end of October 2023, pharmaceutical sector exports have successfully exceeded one billion dollars.
