Following a meeting last week between the UAE Ministry of Health (MoH) and local pharma manufacturers, Dr. Amin Al Amiri - Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licensing in the UAE – announced factories will be allowed to import active substances for the purposes of research, development and bioequivalence studies before the patent has expired.
Al Amiri told the Gulf News this will benefit both the consumer and the UAE’s pharma industry. “Generic market entry is often delayed because a manufacturer has to invest up to 18-24 months for clinical study and research before marketing the generic drug.”
Such a move will allow generic versions of drugs to be immediately available once patent has expired from the 15 companies at the meeting who currently make the 940 drugs produced locally.