Oman to produce flu, insulin vaccines soon

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Muscat: Oman has taken a big leap in the pharma sector with the setting up of plants for the manufacture of human influenza and insulin vaccines.

These vaccines will soon be produced for the first time in Khazaen Economic City, in the Sultanate of Oman, Eng Salim bin Suleiman Al Thuhli, the CEO of Khazaen Economic City, said.

“We have entered the pharmaceutical sector and are currently having five projects with a total value of OMR40 million,” he said.

While speaking to Times of Oman’s sisterly radio channel Al Shabiba, the CEO of Khazaen Economic City, said: “Today, for the first time in Khazaen city the human influenza and insulin vaccines will be produced in cooperation with a foreign partner.”

Al Thuhli confirmed that the influenza vaccine production unit will become operational soon, while the insulin and other vaccines manufacturing plants, the agreements of which were arrived at with a local partner and another international group having the expertise, will also see the light of the day soon as the field work is almost complete. “Our priority is to localise this expertise and technology,” he added.

He added that the Sultanate of Oman used to import these two vaccines from abroad, but now they will be produced inside the country without the need to request from abroad, and this comes within the pharmaceutical projects in Khazaen Economic City.

Al Thuhli confirmed that this is not a matter of coincidence to produce vaccines locally, but this comes as part of the future plans for the Khazaen Economic City, in addition to attracting more qualitative development projects in the country.