Morocco Seeks Major Drug Exporting Role

Morocco is working with the international pharmaceutical industry and other African nations on a strategy to build up its role as a leading exporter of drugs, according to the country's Minister of Public Health, Abderrhamin Harouchi.

In an interview in Health Horizons, the magazine of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical manufacturers Associations, he said Morocco is very well placed for such a role. The national industry now meets around 80% of domestic requirements, and drugs are only imported if local production is not warranted, either due to low demand as in the case of cancer treatments, or for purely economic reasons such as limited production which would not justify major investment.

Moroccan drug production costs are about 30%-40% below those of Europe, said prof Harouchi, and as a result, a number of companies have transferred to Morocco production of drugs for which there is no longer an important market in Europe. For example, some penicillin made in Morocco is exported to Europe, as needed. Moroccan-made medicines are also sold to Middle Eastern and African markets, and the intention is to increase these overseas sales, he said; the domestic industry has just adopted European Good Manufacturing Practices standards.