The third meeting of the India-Tunisia Joint Working Group on Drugs and Pharmaceuticals has decided to shortlist selected Indian pharmaceutical companies having US FDA compliant manufacturing facilities for fast track regulatory clearance.
These selected companies will be allowed easy access to Tunisian markets once they receive a certification from the Indian Government on quality standards. The meeting, held in New Delhi on November 30, also decided to initiate joint studies to explore joint venture opportunities for Indian and Tunisian pharmaceutical companies.
Informing this to pharmabiz.com, H.E. Elyes Kasri, Ambassador of Tunisia said that the working group has drawn a proper action plan for the export of the entire range of drugs and pharmaceuticals. "Tunisia is interested in sourcing the entire range of products including drug raw materials, drugs and medical equipment from India. We are also willing to interact with Indian healthcare providers in the area of medical tourism," he said.
The ambassador said that the Indian companies can utilize Tunisian market as an entry point into the European markets. The Tunisian delegation has handed over a lengthy list of high-cost essential medicines that are in high demand in the country. Tunisia would explore the possibilities of sourcing all these drugs, cardio-vascular and oncology drugs for instance, from India. The Indian Government, on its part, has prepared a list of US FDA compliant companies who are manufacturing the drugs that are mentioned in the list provided by Tunisian delegation.
The Union Health Ministry, Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry and Pharmexcil (Pharmaceutical Export Promotion Council) would help Tunisian authorities in short-listing the companies from this list and introduce a special certification system for helping these companies manufacture and export the drugs within a short time.
The issue of training of drug regulators of Tunisia in NIPER was also discussed. It is known that Tunisia has decided to send its first batch of regulators to NIPER to undergo training in the coming months. On health tourism front, Tunisia would be offering offshore status for Indian healthcare establishments.
The Tunisian delegation, comprising drug regulators and pharmaceutical manufacturers, are also participating in the Indo-African, ASEAN and GCC meet on Pharmaceuticals organized by Pharmexcil and the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress in Hyderabad. It should be recalled that the Pharmexcil and National Chamber of Drug Industries of Tunisia (CNIP) had signed an MoU for increasing trade collaborations, facilitating joint ventures and various promotional activities between the two countries in the drugs and pharmaceuticals sector during the last meeting of the Working Group held in Tunisia. Tunisian market is worth about US$ 400 million and the Indian exports to Tunisia are presently only about US$ 1.5 million.