MOROCCO – Moroccan pharmaceutical company Laprophan has entered into an exclusive cooperation agreement with the China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) for the production of medicines.
The manufacturing agreement is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations.
Morocco officially became the first African state in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Laprophan and Sinopharm have agreed to cooperate in pharmaceutical preparations, the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients, as well as the production of consumables, medical devices, and equipment.
The joint statement said: “The pact will allow Laprophan to reach more African countries and work with Sinopharm in the countries where it operates.”
The agreement will allow the transfer and dissemination of technologies as part of its objectives to set up local production of certain pharmaceuticals to meet the country’s public health needs.
It will strengthen the country’s health security by ensuring Morocco is well-positioned to prevent, detect and respond to future health crises and infectious disease threats.
“The agreement would strengthen Morocco’s position as a gateway into trade and cooperation with other African countries,” the pharmaceutical companies claimed.
However, the latest manufacturing deal between Laprophan and Sinopharm does not include the production of Sinopharm vaccines in the country.
The recent partnership will build on the long-standing cooperation agreement between Morocco and Sinopharm to develop innovative drugs while strengthening the safety and health of the country.
The signing ceremony was presided over by Mr. Yan Bing, Vice President of Sinopharm International, and Dr. Farid Bennis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Laprophan, in the presence of Mr. Zhang Haoji, President of Sinopharm Foreign Trade.
“Thanks to the joint efforts of both parties, the signing of the strategic cooperation agreement sets a new milestone in the cooperation between China and Morocco in the field of medicine and health,” Sinopharm’s International Vice President Yan Bing said in a statement.
In 2021, Morocco implemented a strategy to start locally producing Sinopharm vaccines. The construction of a vaccine manufacturing plant began in January 2022, with plans to start production by the end of 2024.
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