UAE-based pharmaceutical firm Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) officially opened a new pharmaceuticals manufacturing facility in February 2013. The new plant is located at Gerji Jakros region in Ethiopian capital city Addis Ababa. It was developed by Julphar in association with Medtech, a local Ethiopian company.
The inauguration ceremony of the new manufacturing plant was attended by Hailemariam Desalegn, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
The plant is expected to become fully operational in the second quarter of 2013. The investment for the construction of the plant was about ETB170m ($9.17m).
Details of Julphar’s pharmaceutical facility in Ethiopia
The new facility has a total floor space of about 40,000ft2. It will produce solid as well as liquid dosage forms of medicines. It will manufacture about 25 million bottles of suspension and syrup, 500 million tablets, and more than 200 million capsules.
It will provide many employment opportunities and is expected to recruit 50 local staff for various positions such as quality assurance, quality control, production and maintenance, regulatory affairs, and administration services.
The new plant was built in order to produce relevant and much needed medicines for Ethiopian market. The pharmaceutical products produced at the new facility will be exported throughout Africa. Medtech manages the sales and marketing of the products and will become a key supplier in the local as well as other markets in the African continent.
Technology and products manufactured at Julphar Addis Ababa plant
The new manufacturing facility is equipped with advanced technology processes to produce high-quality pharmaceutical products for use in the domestic market and other African countries.
Pharmaceutical products developed by Julphar include antibiotic, biotech, cardiovascular, dermatology, insulin, metabolic, over the counter, pulmonary, women’s health, and paramedical solutions.
The facility also has a pharmaceuticals packaging line equipped with labelling, cartoning, shrink wrapping, packing, and blistering machines.
Construction of Julphar’s new pharma facility in Ethiopia
The new plant was designed as well constructed by Julphar’s engineering and construction division. It was constructed with cGMP-compliance. Julphar is also working towards obtaining international accreditation for the plant.
The African pharmaceuticals market
“Africa’s healthcare market is growing at an annual rate of 10.6%.”
The African pharmaceuticals market has been growing at a fast pace. The continent has a population close to a billion. The pharmaceutical market in Africa is set to grow between $8bn and $10bn a year, with pharmaceutical spending in Africa expected to increase to about $30bn by 2016.
Africa’s healthcare market is growing at an annual rate of 10.6%. Industry growth is attributed to the extensive surge of middle-class spending on diseases, and rapid urbanisation. The industry has been growing fast despite the infrastructural shortcomings in many of the African countries.
Julphar company information
Julphar is a leading pharmaceutical company in the UAE and was established in 1980. It is involved in the production and distribution of pharmaceutical products across 40 countries worldwide. It has more than 800 product offerings in various dosage forms in the pipeline.
The new facility at Addis Ababa was constructed as part of Julphar’s international expansion strategy. Julphar aims to play a major role in the pharmaceuticals industry in future through the expansion. It currently has 11 plants in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
