Algérie Presse Service (APS) – October 9, 2011

The Algerian-American partnership in the biotechnology sector will contribute to meeting domestic needs in terms of medicine production, members of the government have said.

At a ceremony inaugurating the Algerian-American High Committee in charge of steering and follow-up of activities of the partnership program being implemented in the biotechnology sector, Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform Djamel Ould Abbès said the partnership is “exceptional”, considering that Algeria is the third pole of excellence in the Africa-Middle East region, after Singapore for Asia and Ireland for Europe.

The Algerian-American partnership program is one of the major ones concluded between Algeria and the United States of America in a sector other than hydrocarbons, said Mr. Ould Abbès.

The minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Mourad Medelci, as well, has hailed the new partnership program, which, he said, represents a “new form” of international cooperation, since it allows for technology transfer and long-term coverage of the country’s needs in medicine.

Similarly, Minister of Land Use Planning and Environment Chérif Rahmani called the new scientific partnership program “very important” because, he said, the United States is at the leading edge of biotechnology. Minister Rahmani indicated that the new science pole facilities will operate in a 224-acre area located in the new city of Sidi Abdallah, in the Algiers suburbs.

The minister of Industry, Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises, and Investment Promotion, Mr. Mohamed Benmeradi, expressed his satisfaction with the progress achieved so far by the Algerian-American partnership program since the agreement signature on June 8 and 9, 2011. Mr. Benmeradi called on local firms potentially interested in investing in the program to contribute to raising local production to 70% from its current 40% level. He added that the Algerian-American program will help “boost political, economic, scientific, technical and cultural exchanges” between the two countries.

For his part, Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security Tayeb Louh underlined the benefits of the program which, he said, will help the National Social Security Authority (CNAS) save on refunds for medicine, which cost 95 billion Algerian Dinars in 2010.

Incentives offered by the State to pharmacists and physicians who would encourage use of locally-produced medicine also help promote the domestic pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Louh said.

The Chief of Staff of the ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research highlighted the importance of the program, because of Algeria’s strong interest in research and development in the sector of pharmaceuticals.

Pfizer’s representative in Algeria, Amina Hamoutene, recalled the significance of adapting the legal side of the program to the legislation of the two countries. She also spoke of the need to conduct clinical studies and to prepare Algeria to take part in regional conferences on biotechnology.