The private sector is planning to manufacture a number of plasma-derived medicines in the post-sanctions era, according to Ali Akbar Pourfathollah, head of Iran Blood Transfusion Organization.
“Iran is the first developing country to produce plasma, and the private sector has plans to be part of the production cycle of this vital component in the near future,” he said, IRNA reported. Noting that the plasma sector is still nascent globally, he said production of plasma, the raw material to manufacture a number of plasma-derived drugs, is a prerequisite for the industry.
The IBTO produces 174,000 liters of plasma annually. It is then exported to Germany and other countries to go through an industrial process called “fractionation” and turn into life-saving drugs such as coagulation factor concentrates, immunoglobulins and albumin, before being sent back to Iran.
