VP Highlights Iran’s Biotechnological Medicine Production Capacity
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari highlighted the Islamic Republic’s place in the Middle East region in terms of the capacity for producing biotechnological medicines.
Addressing a ceremony in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Tuesday, Sattari said currently, 22 types of biotechnological medicines are produced domestically and this has made the country unmatched in the region in terms of medical capacity.
“In addition, there are 600 biotech companies in the country, and we are Asia's third-largest exporter of these (biotechnological) products,” the vice-president said.
All of the products have been produced under the sever sanctions, Sattari said, adding that these innovations are the outcome of the sanctions.
Back in December, Health Minister Saeed Namaki unveiled plans to inaugurate 1,000 new health and medical projects, saying the ministry has launched the second stage of a grand plan focusing on prevention of diseases.
In comments in October, he also said Iran was exporting pharmaceuticals to countries in Europe, Africa and Central Asia.
In September, secretary of Biotechnology Development Headquarter at the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology said Iranian biopharmaceuticals were being exported to major customers like Russia, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Turkey, adding that plans were underway to transfer Iranian biopharmaceuticals technology to Argentina.
