Algérie Presse Service (APS) – May 24, 2012

Minister of Health, Population, and Hospital Reform Djamel Ould Abbès and representatives of U.S. pharmaceutical firm PhARMA attended yesterday in Algiers a presentation releasing a follow-up report on the Algerian-American partnership project in the biotechnology sector.

Titled “Study for the Development of a Strategic Road Map for Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry in Algeria – Vision 2020”, the report was presented looking forward to the creation in Algeria of a regional biotechnology pole, similar in standing to those of Boston, Ireland, and Singapore.

In a statement made to the media after the meeting, Mr. Ould Abbès said “Algeria will take up this challenge and will get its biotechnology pole, thus allowing it to seek to achieve more ambitious endeavors in the health sector and to attain greater freedom in that area.”

The minister spoke of his “pride” to see that Algeria was selected as 4th global biotechnology pole, coming after Boston (for the past 100 years), Ireland (past 50 years), and Singapore (past 30 years).

Discussing the follow-up report presented at the meeting, the minister said that it will allow Algeria to act “quickly” to establish that pole and stressed that Algeria is a “reference” country, which will cover Africa and the Middle East.