Deadline for generic medicines production ends in Algeria

Deadline given to foreign laboratories operating in Algeria to start producing generic medicines officially ended, Algerian health minister Djamel Ould Abbas said Tuesday.

• “The ministry offered adequate conditions to foreign laboratories ready to invest in Algeria provided that they are serious,” Djamel Ould Abbas said on a visit to an international medicines exhibition.
•  
• He added that importers and foreign laboratories have to invest in Algeria and produce medicines locally to reduce imports bill. Otherwise, they will be prevented by law from operating and importing licences will be withdrawn.
•  
•  
• He added that five importers were arrested as inspection commissions discovered their illegal practices. “They were allowed to open a medicines producing unit but they did not work. The units were no more than empty buildings marketing imported medicines.”
•  
• The minister said the measures are as part of a strategy meant to cover 70 percent of the medicines national market needs. “Saidal (Algerian pharmaceutical laboratory) was provided with 17 billion DZ to expand its producing units activity.”