Egypt’s pharmaceutical sector gearing up to inject $80M to bolster local production

 Egypt’s pharmaceutical industry is preparing to invest approximately LE 4 billion ($80 million) this year to boost domestic production, with 20 new manufacturing lines in the pipeline. The initiative aligns with a national strategy to cut reliance on imported medicines and reinforce the country’s local pharmaceutical capabilities.

The expansion will bring the total number of operational pharmaceutical production lines across Egypt to 810, according to Gamal El Leithy, Chairman of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry at the Federation of Egyptian Industries, speaking to Asharq Business.

This increase is expected to play a key role in replacing approximately $3 billion worth of annual pharmaceutical imports with locally produced alternatives.

Local manufacturers currently supply around 91 percent of the country’s pharmaceutical needs. The sector has seen robust growth, with total medicine sales surging by over 40 percent last year to reach LE 307 billion.

Pharmaceutical sales in January and February alone climbed to LE 62 billion, up from about LE 40 billion in the same period the previous year.