Pharma Sector in Egypt Poised to Grow as 20 New Production Lines to Come Up

(2 Minutes Read)

The move is part of a broader government strategy aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on imported medicines and strengthening local manufacturing.

 Egyptian pharmaceutical companies are set to inject around EGP 4 billion (USD 80 million) into expanding domestic production capacity this year, with plans to establish 20 new production lines. The move is part of a broader government strategy aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on imported medicines and strengthening local manufacturing.

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 USD 3 billion worth of annual pharmaceutical imports with locally produced alternatives. Local manufacturers currently supply around 91% of the country’s pharmaceutical needs.

The sector has seen robust growth, with total medicine sales surging by over 40% last year to reach EGP 307 billion. Pharmaceutical sales in January and February alone climbed to EGP 62 billion, up from about EGP 40 billion in the same period the previous year.

The growth was largely driven by an uptick in production volume, particularly in packaged medications, according to previous comments by Ali El-Ghamrawy, head of the Egyptian Drug Authority.

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Looking ahead, Egypt is aiming to localise the manufacturing of high-priority and specialised medicines. El Leithy said key targets include cancer treatments, immunodeficiency drugs, medical imaging dyes, and infant formula. These efforts form part of a strategic national plan to raise pharmaceutical exports to $3 billion by 2030.