Investing in public health innovation

Bangladesh's pharmaceutical industry is a quiet but remarkable success story. It meets 98 per cent of domestic demand and exports generic medicines to over 150 countries. However, as Bangladesh prepares to graduate from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, the pharmaceutical sector faces a new set of challenges under the TRIPS agreement, particularly regarding intellectual property obligations that may raise the cost of imported medicines.

To stay competitive and ensure access to affordable healthcare, Bangladesh must shift from being a producer of generic drugs to becoming a hub for pharmaceutical innovation. The opportunity is clear: by investing in drug discovery and research, Bangladesh can fill the regional innovation gap in South Asia and emerge as a leader.

The country also has unique health challenges, such as arsenic-related diseases due to groundwater contamination, which remain largely unaddressed by global research. Targeted domestic R&D could address these local health burdens while developing commercially viable treatments.

To realise this vision, strategic policy interventions are essential. A Pharmaceutical Innovation Fund should be established to support early-stage research. Stronger public-private partnerships, enhanced academia-industry collaboration, and regulatory reforms are also crucial to foster an enabling environment for innovation. Moreover, international partnerships with established research institutions could accelerate knowledge transfer and infrastructure development.

By 2040, Bangladesh has the potential to build a thriving pharmaceutical research ecosystem, not just for economic growth, but to tackle health challenges that have long affected its people. The time for bold investment in public health innovation is now.

Ashikujaman Syed

Business Development Manager

Tianjin Pharmacn Medical Technology Co., Ltd., China

syedashikujaman@yahoo.com