Pakistan-China Pharma: Investment Agreements Reach $850 Million
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal says Pakistan and Chinese companies signed 16 contracts and 80 MoUs to boost pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccines and healthcare investment.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal addresses the Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Investment Conference.
Pakistan-China Pharma cooperation gained significant momentum after Pakistani and Chinese companies finalised investment agreements worth $850 million on the final day of the two-day Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare B2B Investment Conference in Islamabad.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal announced that Pakistani and Chinese companies signed 16 contracts and 80 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), calling the outcome a major milestone in bilateral economic and pharmaceutical cooperation.
Speaking at a media briefing on Saturday, the minister said the deals included $600 million in contracts and $250 million in MoUs.
He added that 18 agreements centred on the development and production of herbal medicines.
Mustafa Kamal welcomed the expanding partnerships between Pakistani and Chinese businesses, saying the investments would strengthen the country’s pharmaceutical industry and accelerate local manufacturing.
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He said both sides also discussed establishing local vaccine production, noting that Pakistan currently imports 13 different vaccines.
The minister warned that Pakistan’s vaccine import bill could reach $1.2 billion by 2030 unless the country expands domestic production.
He noted that Pakistan imports nearly 90 per cent of its pharmaceutical raw materials and said the new partnerships would help local companies manufacture these inputs, reduce import dependence and lower medicine prices.
Participants also discussed expanding medical device manufacturing, promoting clinical trials and improving vocational training across the pharmaceutical sector.
Mustafa Kamal said the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has digitalised more than 80 per cent of its services, allowing pharmaceutical companies to apply for medicine licences online. He added that DRAP now aims to issue licences within 20 days under its simplified approval process.
The minister said Pakistan’s pharmaceutical regulatory system has earned international recognition after the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified local drug-testing laboratories.
He added that the strong presence of Chinese companies at the conference demonstrated growing confidence in Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector and would help create jobs, encourage technology transfer and increase foreign exchange earnings.
Minister of State for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharat described the conference as a landmark commercial and strategic initiative that would deepen Pakistan-China cooperation in healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
A total of 146 Chinese companies, represented by around 220 delegates, joined more than 200 Pakistani companies at the event, making it one of the largest Pakistan-China business gatherings in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and biotechnology sectors.
