Egyptian pharma company to produce anticancer drugs in Kazakhstan

Eipico, a pharmaceutical company from Egypt, will build a $30 million biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in Saran, the Karaganda region, according to Kazakh Invest.

The new factory will produce biosimilars and antitumor drugs under international GMP standards. All these medicines are meant to be supplied to domestic and some neighboring markets. Once the project is implemented, 150 to 200 jobs will be created.

Biosimilars are biological agents highly similar to particular biologics. When a drug patent expires, various pharma companies receive the right to reproduce this drug on their own. There is no difference in safety, efficacy and quality between biosimilars and original medicines.

Eipico is the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturer in Egypt, producing 276 items of medicine. The company is not just a leader in its home market but the biggest exporter of medicines. It accounts for 21% of Egyptian pharmaceutical exports.

In January 2024, media outlets reported that Swiss Roche would start producing three of its anticancer medicines based on the Nobel pharmaceutical plant in Almaty in the second half of the year. The company will also expand exports of its original drugs to Kazakhstan.