The initiative was announced at a meeting hosted
by the National Petrochemical Company (NPC), which focused on identifying
challenges, requirements, and opportunities within the pharmaceutical sector
and its upstream reliance on petrochemical raw materials.
Attendees included knowledge-based companies,
innovation centers, science and technology parks, Tehran University of Medical
Sciences, research and technology funds, and NPC experts in downstream
industries.
Participants discussed existing weaknesses in raw
material supply, explored ways to expand industrial and research
collaborations, and examined strategies to leverage academic and industrial
capacities to boost domestic production.
Key issues highlighted included the need to
establish midstream industrial units, produce petrochemicals with
pharmaceutical-grade purity, address shortages of chemical solvents with
pharmaceutical specifications, and invest in domestic packaging and
medical-grade polymer production.
The session concluded with a commitment to develop
a national roadmap for the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medical equipment
value chain, which will serve as a strategic guide for the sector’s growth.