[lu sur le site du ministère des affaires étrangères du Danemark.CB]
PRODUCTION OF MALARIA MEDICINE IN VIETNAM FOR THE WORLD MARKET
http://www.ambhanoi.um.dk/en/menu/AboutUs/News/ProductionOfMalariaMedicineForTheWorldMarketInVietnam.htm
Malaria is the most significant tropical disease, remaining widespread
throughout the tropics, but also occurring in many temperate regions. It
causes serious illness and death - especially among children and pregnant
women. Prevention and treatment have become more difficult with the spread
of drug-resistant parasites and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes. Thus,
malaria remains one of the most serious global health problems.
Three companies - the Vietnamese Mediplantex and the two Danish companies
Dansk Famaceutisk Industri and Eurocare Danmark - have joined forces to
improve and increase the production of the most efficient medicine available
for treatment of malaria - namely combination treatments based on
artemisia - a substance extracted from the plant Artemisia Annua which grows
predominantly in Vietnam and China.
The Artemisia Annua plant grows primarily in Vietnam and China
The business idea is for the Danish partners, through support from Danida's
Busienss-to-Business Programme, to assist Mediplantex in upgrading its
production facilities and processes to meet international "Good
Manufacturing Practices" and "Good Laboratory Practices". The Joint Venture
will focus on upgrading the production facilities to WHO standards as well
as on registration of the product under the WHO pre-qualification programme.
This will help the Joint Venture to sell the medicine manufactured in
Vietnam to the world market, including to international donor agencies which
are important purchasers of this medicine, and which all require this
international certification that Mediplantex has to date not been able to
achieve.
DFI brings in its experience in the production of herbal medicines which it
currently sells in the most of the European market. Eurocare brings in the
expertise dealing with international customers. Mediplantex brings in its
production expertise and the control over the whole value chain from the
growing of the Artemisia Annua plants, extraction of the artemisinin,
processing of its derivatives and the production of artemisinin-based
end-products.
Productionsfacilities at Mediplantex's factory
The business co-operation will enable Mediplantex to produce
artemisinin-based malaria medicine globally, thereby generating more value
addition to the product in Vietnam than previously. It is expected that the
project will contribute to expanding the production of the plant Artemisia
Annua, which is currently in short supply internationally.
Danida's B2B Programme will support for training and implementation of
Danish standards regarding environment and workers safety - an area of
particular relevance related to the extraction process. The project is
expected to create 100 new jobs in Mediplantex over a period of three years
and improve the working environment of 350 employees to Danish standards.
For further information please contact B2B co-ordinator Hans Peter Slente,
hansle@um.dk.
Edited May 10, 2006