The new Cairo-based company, known as HKPI-JV, will help biopharmaceutical companies commercialise therapies in Egypt by recruiting, training and placing sales representatives.
The three-way collaboration will see local partners HKPI and Ramco providing knowledge of the Egyptian and Middle East market, while Quintiles will bring commercial expertise and international networking to the region.
Quintiles executive VP Rich Pilnik, described the Egyptian biopharmaceutical market as “large” and “fast growing,” and told Outsourcing-Pharma that industry competition had "increased the need for excellence in sales and marketing, which becomes a high priority for companies with large portfolios needing marketing experience.
This trend, Pilnik continued, is increasing demand for contract sales and marketing expertise that is Egypt-specific, particularly those large multi-national pharmaceutical companies trying to increase their presence in emerging pharmaceutical markets to mitigate the impact of impending patent loss elsewhere.
However, he also suggested the $2.2bn a year market holds potential for smaller drugmakers, which could also benefit from the local market insight provided by the JV that will “help customers achieve a commercially-guided clinical strategy to ensure faster market access and commercial success."
“Multinationals have launch products and a large portfolio of mature products that are demonstrating strong growth rates,” explained Pilnik, while “local companies possess large branded generic portfolios, but have under-developed sales and marketing skills, and are also seeking outsourcing solutions.”
Quintiles is already “assessing other opportunities,” in Egypt and weighing up the advantages of further building in the country’s enticing pharma market.
“As the [drug industry] region continues to grow, biopharma companies in the Middle East increasingly need commercialisation services,” said Pilnik, adding, “Egypt provides a strong starting point for future expansion.”