Merck has commissioned a new production unit to manufacture diabetes and high blood pressure medicines in Algeria.
The German life sciences group has set up a €5m joint venture with Novapharm, an Algerian company that specialises in the importation, packing, and distribution of pharmaceutical products.
The plant will produce 500 million tablets annually for the Algerian market as well as create 200 jobs.
The unit, located in Bou Ismail, 40km west of Algiers, will help increase national production capacity and enable Algeria to reduce its import bill for medicines.
'Our partnership with Novapharm will optimise our services for Algerian patients. It will establish improved access to quality medicines,' said Bernd Reckmann, Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Management Board of Life Science and Performance Materials at Merck.
'By sharing good manufacturing practices and transfer of technology and know-how, this alliance between Merck and Novapharm will have a positive impact on production capacity and the future of the pharmaceutical industry in Algeria.'
Moncef Meklati, CEO of Merck in Algeria, said: 'We are proud that today our medicines are produced by Algerians for Algerians, with a manufacturing and control process identical to that used at our sites in Europe.'
