Karachi: Pakistan will host a business-to-business (B2B) conference with Chinese pharmaceutical companies in Karachi in mid-July as part of efforts to attract Chinese investment, promote technology transfer and localise the production of pharmaceutical raw materials, Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal announced on Saturday.
The minister said nearly 90 percent of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used by Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry are currently imported from China.
Speaking during a visit to the office of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), the federal health minister said the conference would bring together Pakistani pharmaceutical manufacturers and Chinese companies to explore joint ventures, investment opportunities and technology partnerships aimed at establishing API manufacturing in Pakistan.
Mustafa Kamal said Pakistan currently produces around 85 percent of its finished medicines locally, but almost 99 percent of the raw materials required for manufacturing those medicines are imported. Of these imports, nearly 90 percent originate from China, making Pakistan heavily dependent on external supply chains for pharmaceutical ingredients.
He said the government’s objective was to gradually establish local manufacturing of APIs and other pharmaceutical raw materials to reduce reliance on imports, strengthen national medicine security, conserve foreign exchange and improve the competitiveness of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector.
The minister said the mid-July B2B conference in Karachi would provide a platform for Pakistani manufacturers and Chinese pharmaceutical companies to develop long-term commercial partnerships, facilitate investment and encourage the transfer of manufacturing technologies.
Mustafa Kamal said the government wanted the conference to produce tangible outcomes, stressing that investment should come to Pakistan and agreements should be signed, particularly in the areas of API production, vaccine manufacturing and biological products.
He said establishing local manufacturing facilities for APIs, vaccines and biological products would represent a major opportunity for Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry and help reduce dependence on imported pharmaceutical products.
Former PPMA Chairman Tauqeer-ul-Haq said the association was eagerly looking forward to the conference, describing it as a long-awaited opportunity to achieve technology transfer and strengthen pharmaceutical cooperation between Pakistan and China.
He thanked Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan and Pakistan’s Ambassador to China for their efforts in facilitating the initiative.
Tauqeer-ul-Haq said more than 187 Pakistani pharmaceutical companies registered with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) had signed up for the conference, while around 150 Chinese pharmaceutical companies, including manufacturers of APIs, vaccines and biological products, were expected to participate.
He said China’s pharmaceutical industry was far ahead in several manufacturing segments and expressed optimism that the conference would pave the way for investment, joint ventures and long-term technology partnerships.
Pakistan has recently been expanding pharmaceutical cooperation with China, particularly in API manufacturing, vaccine production and industrial collaboration, with both countries exploring opportunities for joint ventures and investment in the sector.
Senior Vice Chairman PPMA Kamran Nasir, in his opening remarks, lauded Mustafa Kamal for effectively leading the health ministry, taking a keen interest in resolving issues facing the pharmaceutical industry and making efforts to attract investment, facilitate industry growth and enhance Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports.
Mustafa Kamal also announced that the federal government would introduce a barcode-based medicine traceability system within the next 60 days to strengthen efforts against counterfeit and substandard medicines.
He said every medicine pack would carry a barcode that consumers could verify, allowing the public to confirm the authenticity of medicines and making surveillance more effective.
“Instead of relying on only 22 inspectors, nearly 220 million Pakistanis will be able to verify medicines themselves,” he said, describing the initiative as a major step towards eliminating counterfeit and spurious medicines from the market.
The federal health minister said counterfeit medicines form part of a multi-billion-dollar global illegal industry and added that many consumers mistakenly perceive imported medicines to be more effective than locally manufactured products, despite Pakistani pharmaceutical companies producing medicines that meet recognised quality standards.
Mustafa Kamal further said Pakistan had formulated its national vaccine policy and currently provided free vaccination against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases. However, he warned that with international donor support expected to decline after 2030, Pakistan must develop indigenous vaccine manufacturing capacity to ensure long-term self-sufficiency.
He added that Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry currently exports medicines to 52 countries and expressed optimism that obtaining additional international regulatory approvals would enable local manufacturers to expand exports to around 100 countries.
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