LAHORE, Feb 4: Pakistan plans to begin production of penicillin with the financial assistance of Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the technological cooperation of Indonesia.

This was stated by Federal Health Minister Dr Abdul Malik Kasi at the inauguration of a segregated anti-biotic manufacturing facility here on Monday. The facility has been set up by Highnoon Laboratories Ltd at a cost of Rs35 million.

Kasi underlined the strong need for developing the local pharmaceutical industry to reduce its dependence on other countries. He said the local industry had the potential to achieve that level of development and progress. Pakistan had a reasonably developed formulation industry that was meeting about 89 per cent of local requirements. However, he pointed out, two areas — production of biologicals including vaccines, sera, and blood substitutes, and bulk raw materials — required immediate and serious attention of the pharmaceutical industry.

He said Pakistan imported almost its total requirement of its population with limited production of vaccines at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad. He said the local industry could make profits by starting production of these high-tech products not only in the local market but also in the world markets.

He said the country had only a few producers of raw materials and they, too, were finding it immensely difficult to compete with the imports from the international market. Therefore, he added, it was imperative to look into cost competitive technology and ways and means to reduce in the unnecessary overheads to make production cost effective.

The minister said the pharmaceutical industry could play a vital role in the economic development of the country. He also stressed the need for putting in more resources and efforts into research and development of new products. He said it was necessary for the local industry if it wanted to compete with foreign companies.