BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 3. A new pharmaceutical plant will be built in Almaty, Kazakhstan, with investments exceeding 39 billion tenge (about $86 million), Chairperson of the Management Board of Nobel Almaty Pharmaceutical Factory JSC Svetlana Kil said at a government meeting.
The project is also expected to lay the groundwork for domestic production of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
One of the key areas of development will be expanding the localization of international medicines. Kazakhstan has already localized the production of four medicines developed by Roche - Kadcyla, Herceptin, and Perjeta - as well as Forxiga by AstraZeneca. In addition, an agreement has been signed with Sanofi to localize vaccine production.
The new plant will provide for further expansion of manufacturing processes. During the first stage, scheduled for 2030-2033, the company plans to develop the production of finished dosage forms, transfer technologies, and establish full-cycle manufacturing.
The next stage, covering 2034-2036, will involve the launch of active pharmaceutical ingredient production, which is expected to gradually reduce dependence on imported raw materials.
Under the investment agreement, the project provides for the localization of 40 international nonproprietary names (INNs) of medicines, covering 68 production items across 12 therapeutic areas. The main focus will be on oncology and hematology, accounting for 17 and seven INNs, respectively.
In 2030, new production areas are expected to be introduced, covering rheumatology, immunology and the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. In 2032, the company plans to launch six production items involving biological medicines - five for oncology and one for hematology.
"Technology transfer and the training of qualified specialists will support the development of professional expertise in the pharmaceutical industry. Expanding manufacturing capabilities and complying with quality requirements will create conditions for promoting Kazakh pharmaceutical products in foreign markets," Kil said.
The project is part of efforts to develop Kazakhstan's domestic pharmaceutical industry through deeper localization, the adoption of modern biotechnologies and stronger resilience in the country's medicine supply.
The currency conversion was made at the National Bank of Kazakhstan's exchange rate of 453.64 tenge per US dollar as of November 3.
