Health Ministry commissions 4 local pharma companies to produce penicillin

The Health Ministry has commissioned four local pharma companies — Nile Pharma, Holdipharma, October, and Medical Union — to produce penicillin, which will help to reduce the country’s reliance on imports and avoid future shortages, ministry spokesperson Khaled Megahed tells Al Shorouk. The country’s stock of penicillin will be sufficient to cover five months of consumption by the end of December, Megahed says. The Health Ministry had accused state-owned ACDIMA of causing a penicillin shortage in the local market.