Iran will produce 10 new biotech drugs (medicine obtained by biotechnology processing) within two years and market them at the international level, said Mostafa Ghanei, head of the Biotechnology Headquarters, which functions under the president’s deputy for science and technology.
“Currently there are 160 biotech drugs available globally, 27 of which will be available in the national market by 2017,” he said, IRNA reported.
He noted that most local producers have targeted the domestic market, but the focus is on the international market.
“The number of biotechnologists in the country is increasing but not all of them are active in production and that is why there is need to train entrepreneur biotechnologists,” he said.
At the moment, producing medicine with Iranian labels for the international market is a key area of focus for biotechnologists.
Healthcare Promotion
Biotechnology products have impacted the promotion of healthcare globally over the last 30 years. The sales of 148 biotechnology products in 2012, excluding vaccines and plasma-derived proteins, reached $98 billion.
In the last several decades, Iran has made significant progress in extending healthcare to rural areas and in reducing the rates of infant mortality. Biomedical technology has been helpful to achieve national healthcare goals.
Iran is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the area of medical biotechnology. The number of biotechnology medicines launched was 13 till 2012, with more than 15 products in the pipeline. Given this, Iran is expected to lead in biotechnology products especially in area of biosimilars (a biopharmaceutical drug designed to have active properties similar to one that has previously been licensed) in Asia after India. Biosimilars are also officially approved versions of original “innovator” products, and can be manufactured when the original product’s patent expires.
It should be noted that Dr. Masoud Houshmand, assistant professor at the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Medical Biotechnology Institute) won the 2014 prize in biology conferred by the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The ISESCO prizes are awarded to outstanding researchers and pioneering scientists for their contribution to innovation in science and technology. The Science prize comprises a certificate, a gold medal and cash award of $ 5000.
