Batna factory to make paracetamol raw material

Algeria will make the raw material for paracetamol, a common painkiller, locally, which will reduce imports of this ingredient, the pharmaceutical industry minister Wassim Gouidri said.

For Algerians who use locally made medicines, the change is that this raw material will be made in Algeria.

The raw material is the basic ingredient used to make paracetamol.

Where the factory is

The factory is in the industrial zone of the Kacheda neighbourhood in Batna, the capital of Batna wilaya. It will have an annual capacity of 2,000 tonnes.

It will be the first plant of its kind in the Arab world and Africa, and it will make the raw material in its initial, crystallised stable form.

The minister visited the site on Thursday with local civil and military authorities, and was given technical presentations by the Iranian partner and Saidal staff.

The minister said the work is 85% complete.

What comes next

The project is part of Saidal's wider strategy to develop local production of raw materials and medicines. Further projects include peptides, raw materials for antibiotics, cancer medicines, human and veterinary vaccines, and eye medicines.

These projects will enter service one after another over the coming months, under partnerships that involve technology, knowledge transfer and the training of Algerian staff.

The minister said the plan will let Algeria control every stage of medicine production, from raw material to final product. It will also support national drug security and open export prospects.

At the end of the visit, he ordered that the work be done faster and that deadlines and standards be respected.