Saudi Bio on track to localize insulin production
Dr. Tarif bin Yusuf Al-Ama, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for therapeutic services, recently conducted an inspection tour of Saudi Biomedical Technology Industries (Saudi Bio) factory located in Sadir Industrial and Business City in Riyadh, in the presence of Danish Deputy Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Pal Jensen.
The delegation inspected the work of Saudi Bio in the localization of insulin packaging, which is in progress by means of the company’s partnership with Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, one of the largest insulin producers in the world.
The visit is part of the ministry’s efforts to localize the Kingdom’s pharmaceutical industry and comes in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals for the biopharmaceutical sector, aimed at attracting international com
panies to enhance the position of the Saudi market in various vital sectors, one of which is the localization of insulin production. The first phase began last year in 2020 with manual and mechanical packaging, while the second phase is in progress during the current year, which is the assembly phase.
Al-Ama was briefed during the tour on all stages of production and operational performance in
the factory. He expressed his admiration for the efforts made by Saudi Bio aimed at accomplishing the localization of the Kingdom’s insulin industry. Dr. Melvin D’souza, Novo Nordisk CVP and
general manager, highlighted the importance of collaboration between all sectors to ultimately help patients to defeat diabetes.
Novo Nordisk has more than 80 offices around the world, one of which is NN Saudi Arabia, which has also been actively involved in diabetes and obesity care while focusing on other serious chronic diseases over the last five decades by expanding access to medicines and working to prevent and ultimately cure the diseases that the company treats.
Saudi Bio is one of the Saudi companies working to transfer and localize the biomedical technology industry. With plans to establish a factory for insulin production, the company signed an agreement with Novo Nordisk back in 2018. It developed a Saudi competency program with about 53 percent of Saudi employees at the factory. The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, meanwhile, aims to increase the localization rate in the pharmaceutical industry from 25 to 50 percent by 2030.