Why The Moroccan Pharma Industry Matters To Europe

COVID-19:

WHY THE MOROCCAN PHARMA INDUSTRY MATTERS TO EUROPE

During the past six months, the Moroccan pharmaceutical industry has shown a high degree of reliability and resilience. Put under extreme stress by a strong demand, especially for treatments included in the therapeutic protocol for Covid-19, the Kingdom’s local pharma manufacturers doubled their eff orts to ensure naঞ onal supply for essenঞ al drugs. Under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, The Moroccan Pharma Industry mobilized all of its production capacity from the outset to maintain its acঞ vity in the best condiঞ ons and secure the supply of raw materials and fi nished products in order to avoid any possible shortage. Thanks to the agility and anঞ cipaঞ on of Moroccan manufacturers in this strategic sector which employs more than 50,000 people, no stock shortage of locally manufactured drugs has been recorded, parঞ cularly for molecules that are part of the treatment protocol against Covid-19, including Paracetamol, Vitamin C, Hydroxychloroquine, Azythromycin, Heparin, or Amoxi-clav. The production and distribuঞ on of several million boxes have been ensured conঞ nuously for the benefi t of the Ministry of Health,

main hospitals and health establishments in the Kingdom as well as wholesalers and pharmacies spread across the country.

Agility and Anঞ cipaঞ on

Representing more than $1.68 billion in sales in 2019, including 17% from exports, the Kingdom’s Pharma Industry aims to posiঞ on itself as a new regional “Hub” between Africa and Europe, based on a recognized experঞ se of over 60 years and cutting-edge ecosystems in logistics, transport and technology. A month ago, Lamia Tazi Director General of Sothema and Secretary General of the Moroccan Associaঞ on of Pharmaceuঞ cal Industry (AMIP), highlighted the mulঞ ple assets of the Kingdom as “a stable ally in the south of the Mediterranean able to ensure security and Health prosperity of the whole region”, in an Op-Ed published in Parliament Magazine. She explains in parঞ cular why Morocco meets all the condiঞ ons to become the best production platform for Europe to address the 400 million consumers of the large North and West Africa – Southern Europe zone. Thanks to this policy, the region as a whole will be able to benefi t from an industrial base for the “Best Cost” drug meeঞ ng European quality standards, which will contribute to maintaining or even creaঞ ng thousands of jobs, in Morocco but also in Europe and Africa, as well as a possible leverage eff ect towards the Middle East.

A “Hub” between Europe and Africa

To capitalize on the gains made in this area, Moroccan industrialists in the sector are calling for an intensification of efforts by increasing the incenঞ ve acঞ ons, including the strengthening of the criteria of the status of industrial pharmaceuঞ cal establishment (PPE), co-location, acceleraঞ on of technology transfers, encouragement of research and innovaঞ on, specifi c incenঞ ves for local manufacture and the development of generics, as well as the expansion of health insurance. Bringing together the 29 main players in the sector, AMIP unveiled its

ambitions and new strategic direcঞ ons on June 19 in Casablanca. Considering the global reconfiguration of drug value chains caused by the coronavirus, as well as the rise of a Euro-African export offer of which Morocco would be the center of gravity, the associaঞ on chaired by Ali Sedraঞ reiterated its commitment to improve the accessibility of innovative and generic drugs in Morocco and Africa. Classifi ed by the World Health Organizaঞ on in the “Europe” zone, Morocco has developed a local drug producঞ on considered to be one of the most efficient on the continent, having notably contributed to the eradicaঞ on of several pathologies and commi‚ ed to supporঞ ng Africa in facing Covid-19 as well as the prevenঞ on of future pandemics. As a reminder, last April, the members of the Associaঞ on founded in 1987 made substanঞ al donaঞ ons including large stocks of medicines and protecঞ ve equipment, as well as a contribuঞ on of 55 million dirhams (5 million €) to the special solidarity fund iniঞ ated by King Mohammed VI.