Saudi pharma sector takes leap forward with Hoffmann La Roche localization deal

The Roche Diagnostics Design Center in Mannheim. (Supplied)

• Localization first for Kingdom's pharma sector

RIYADH: The Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries and Medical Appliances Corporation (SPIMACO ADDWAEIH) has struck a deal with Swiss pharma giant Hoffmann La Roche to localize manufacturing of its immunosuppressive drug.
It represents the first complete localization in the Kingdom of manufacturing capacity for this type of advanced drug used to prevent the body from rejecting new organs after organ transplantation, the company said in a Saudi stock exchange listing.
The pharmaceuticals sector is a key part of the Kingdom's economic diversification plan as it aims for greater self-sufficiency in the manufacture of medicines and other medical products.
SPIMACOs pharmaceutical manufacturing facility is located in the industrial zone of Qassim, some 320 kilometers north west of Riyadh.