\\\'Govt to help pharma sector\\\' in high-tech manufacturing

FE Report
Health minister Mohammad Nasim said Wednesday the government was ready to provide all kinds of support to the pharmaceutical sector to help it go for manufacturing based on high-tech.
With the growing demand for local pharmaceutical products in the international market, it became necessary for upgrading the manufacturing facilities and the government was aware of the need, he added.
He was speaking as chief guest at the launching ceremony of the Azbil Telstar Bangladesh Limited (ATBD), a joint-venture company that will provide technological solution to pharmaceutical companies.
The minister said: "Our growing bio-tech pharmaceutical companies require high-tech-based plants to upgrade products to the global standard and maintain international-level factory compliance."
Major General Md Jahangir Hossain Mollik, director general of the drug administration, Salman F. Rahman and Abdul Muktadir, BAPI president and general secretary respectively, Luis Tejada, ambassador of Spain in Bangladesh and SA Khan of SAKA International were present as guests of honour at the function.
Present, among others, were Azbil Telstar general manager Hideya Saito, chairman Ton Capella, ATBD managing director Rafael Beaus and Square Pharmaceuticals managing director Tapan Chowdhury.
The health minister also said the government was considering establishment of a world-class laboratory so that the exporters could test their products locally instead of going abroad as they do currently despite the heavy costs.
Mr SA Khan, managing director of its local partner company Saka International Limited, said high-tech solution would be a must for the manufacturing companies in the days to come for improving the quality of drugs.
He said with formation of the joint venture company with Spain and Japan it would be possible to provide world-class technological solutions to the pharmaceutical companies.
Ton Capella, chairman of the Azbil Telstar Bangladesh Limited said: "We are willing to develop our business here and we expect to help Bangladeshi pharmaceutical companies to achieve the high level of compliance that the international market demands."