KENYA — French-based specialty chemical distributor has launched Safic-Alcan East Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, which will be a welcomed reprieve for pharmaceutical manufacturers in the region.
Safic- Alcan East Africa will serve not only Kenya but also Tanzania, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The expansion is all in part of its plan to increase its presence in the African continent with other existing regional hubs based in South Africa and Egypt.
Chief Executive Officer of the Safic-Alcan group, Yann Lissillour said, “We are thrilled to be expanding our presence in Africa, a continent that is becoming increasingly important in the formulating industry.”
The company has been operating since 1847 and has a global presence through its 35 offices strategically located in Europe, Turkey, the Middle East, North America, Mexico, South America, and China with a staff of 780 people globally.
The specialty chemical distributor links manufacturers of polymers, materials, and additives to their clients in various industries more so in the personal care, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals fields.
Safic-Alcan is a key player in the sales, marketing, and distribution of various active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipients for the pharmaceutical industry globally.
Safic-Alcan East Africa has stated that it will continuously support its customers at every stage of the product development cycle, from the early stage of the active and excipient substance to the finished dosage form.
The government of Kenya through its Big Four agenda aims to build and reinforce the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry mainly to increase the proportion of pharmaceutical manufacturers that meet national good manufacturing practices standards.
As it stands data from the Ministry of Industrialization, only 65% fully comply with global requirements for good manufacturing practices.
As per information from the Kenya Pharmaceutical Industry Report (KPI) of 2022, Kenya intends to increase its market share in pharmaceutical exports to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
Specifically, the KPI report contends that export stands at US$63 million annually and is intended to increase to US$678 million which translates to a 5%t share of the US$13.6 billion market for pharmaceutical products in the COMESA region.
Based on the work done in the EAC Regional Pharmaceutical Plan of Action 2017–2027, Kenya needs to develop and implement a national 10-year strategic plan to transform into a competitive regional hub for manufacturing pharmaceutical products by 2030.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, only Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have a sizable pharmaceutical industry presence, producing to serve the local demand and exporting to other African countries.
The companies in the region are primarily drug manufacturers that buy active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from other manufacturers abroad and formulate them into finished products ready for the market.
Only three companies (two in South Africa and one in Ghana) produce APIs. In general, the requisite chemical industry to support the production of APIs is missing.
The government of Kenya contends that reducing overreliance on the global supply chain for health products and technologies could reduce the country’s exposure to risks of interruptions or a shortage of items needed to respond to national emergencies and programs.
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