Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced last week the commissioning of its medicine production unit for the treatment of both diabetes and high blood pressure. A joint venture project has subsequently been set up between the company and its partner, the Algerian laboratory Novapharm.

With an annual production capacity of 500 million tablets for the Algerian market, the production unit located in Bou Ismail, a remote village 40 km west of Algiers, will help increase Algeria’s production capacity in the South African continent.

According to sources, the investment is valued at 5 million Euros and will enable Algeria to reduce the import bill for medicines.

"Our partnership with Novapharm will optimise our services for Algerian patients. It will establish improved access to quality medicines. By sharing good manufacturing practices and transfer of technology and know-how, this alliance between Merck and Novapharm will have a positive impact on production capacity and the future of the pharmaceutical industry in Algeria," said, Bernd Reckmann, member of the Board of Directors and chairman of the Management Board of Life Science and Performance Materials at Merck.

"We are proud that today our medicines are produced by Algerians for Algerians, with a manufacturing and control process identical to that used at our sites in Europe," said Moncef Meklati, CEO of Merck in Algeria. This partnership intends to improve the care of patients through increased availability of medicines in the local market. In the long term, it will also create 200 jobs.

For his part, Yassine Benamara, CEO of Novapharm Production, claims that this partnership has resulted in a transfer of technology and know-how to the benefit of Algeria. "This joint venture complies with the government guidelines which expect to fulfill national requirements to the tune of 70 to the local pharmaceutical production by 2016."