Pakistan, China signed $629.5 million pharma agreements, plan $800 million in further deals, says health minister

Pakistani and Chinese companies signed 22 commercial agreements worth $629.5 million following a two-day pharmaceutical business conference in Islamabad, Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal said.

The Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical Business-to-Business Conference, held on July 17 and 18, also produced 84 memoranda of understanding with an estimated value of about $800 million. The government expects several of these MoUs to develop into formal investment agreements.

The event brought together 240 delegates representing 140 Chinese pharmaceutical companies and 430 participants from 210 Pakistani firms.

The Ministry of National Health Services arranged six weeks of virtual business matchmaking before the conference, allowing participating companies to begin the event with ongoing commercial discussions. The conference subsequently hosted 340 bilateral business meetings.

The 22 signed agreements include two involving active pharmaceutical ingredients, eight for local vaccine production, two related to clinical trials, two covering generic formulations and injectable medicines, and eight for medical device manufacturing.

Syed Mustafa Kamal said the government was seeking binding commercial agreements that could deliver investment, technology transfer, industrial development and employment rather than limiting engagement to non-binding commitments.

He said the conference formed part of efforts to make Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry more competitive, strengthen local manufacturing and reduce dependence on imported medicines and healthcare products.

The minister said Pakistan had developed and approved its first National Local Vaccine Production Policy to establish domestic manufacturing capacity.

Pakistan currently administers 13 vaccines through its national immunisation programme, all of which are imported. The policy is intended to reduce that dependence and strengthen health security.

The government is also working with Chinese partners to develop Pakistan’s clinical trials sector, promote Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbal products, manufacture medical devices locally for domestic use and export, and establish vocational and technical training programmes for pharmaceutical and biotechnology workers.

Another priority is local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Pakistan manufactures nearly 85% of the pharmaceutical products consumed domestically but imports approximately 95% of the raw materials used in medicine production.

Syed Mustafa Kamal said expanding local pharmaceutical manufacturing had become an economic and strategic requirement given Pakistan’s population of more than 250 million and the continuing growth of the global healthcare industry.

He also highlighted regulatory reforms at the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, saying around 85% of its processes had been digitised.

According to the minister, the changes had reduced processing times, improved transparency and limited direct human involvement in regulatory approvals.

He said medical device registrations, which previously took years, could now be completed online, with approvals issued within 20 days.

The minister credited the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, led by Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, along with the Ministry of National Health Services, DRAP, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, the Board of Investment, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Islamabad Police and other law enforcement agencies for organising the conference.

He said the government would work to ensure that the agreements were implemented and converted into operational projects capable of expanding manufacturing, creating employment, increasing exports and supporting economic growth.