UAE – Mubasher: Dubai-based LIFEPharma, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the UAE-headquartered VPS Healthcare, announced it has signed a first-of-its-kind agreement with Apotex Inc., the largest producer of generic drugs in Canada.
Under the ten-year agreement, LIFEPharma will manufacture nine products in its facility in Dubai and consequently export them for commercialisation in Canada, according to a press release.
Accordingly, LIFEPharma becomes the first UAE company to export generics to the North American market, the fully-integrated Emirati pharmaceutical manufacturer noted.
Through the agreement, LIFEPharma will be manufacturing up to 120 million tablets per year including medications used to treat a certain type of nerve disease, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease.
The products also include medications used to treat symptoms of Parkinson's disease, hepatitis B virus infection, partial seizures and infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria, LIFEPharma highlighted.
These therapeutics have never been produced in the UAE or the GCC for export to the North American markets, the company remarked.
Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of VPS Healthcare, said: “The partnership is an important milestone not only for LIFEPharma and VPS Healthcare, but also for the UAE. This project represents an important milestone in the strategy to make the UAE a global hub for knowledge-based, sustainable and innovative industries.”
Jeff Watson, President and CEO of Apotex, commented: “The GCC region continues to be a significant growth opportunity and focus for Apotex. The partnership with LIFEPharma represents an important step in achieving our growth objectives.”
The two companies are also mulling over the production of additional generics for export to the Middle East that will boost LIFEPharma’s access in the UAE and GCC markets to introduce new and niche products.
LIFEPharma, the UAE’s only USFDA-certified facility, is the first UAE-based pharmaceutical production company approved to supply medications to the USA, the UK, Australia, Portugal, and Taiwan.
