SPIMACO to produce cancer medicines by 2020, says CEO

Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corp. (SPIMACO) will launch production at its Qassim cancer medicine plant by 2020, Al Arabiya TV has reported, citing chief executive officer, Fahad Al Khalaf.

“Saudi Arabia will start producing cancer medicine in line with international specifications in two years,” Al Khalaf said.

The high-tech plant will be financed through internal cash flows and funding from the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF), and will require strategic partnership with international players.

The Saudi pharmaceuticals sector has been growing at 5 percent over the last two years, Al Khalaf added.

Last week, SPIMACO signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Switzerland-based Hoffman-La Roche to cooperate in localizing cancer medicine production at the Qassim plant.

SPIMACO also inked a MoU in March with AstraZeneca UK to locally produce cancer medicines in Qassim.

The factory in Qassim is estimated to cost up to SAR 245 million, a SAR 45 million increase from the cost previously approved by SPIMACO’s board of directors back in 2015.

According to a recent report by BMI Research, Saudi Arabia's pharmaceutical sector was valued at SAR 28.2 billion ($7.5 billion) in 2017. Pharmaceutical sales are expected to increase by a local compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5 percent between 2017 and 2022, to reach a value of SAR 36.8 billion ($9.8 billion).