EDB eyes pharmaceutical export boost through SLPMA partnership

• Focuses potential for Sri Lanka to position as a competitive player in global pharmaceutical supply chain
• SLMPA President Nalin Kannangara highlights primary constraint in accessing global markets lies in meeting stringent international regulatory standards
• Stresses on complexity of pharmaceutical exports compared to other product categories
• SLPMA Vice President and Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee of the EDB Chairman Viraj Manatunga asserts critical need for a comprehensive strategy for pharmaceutical manufacturing sector
• EDB Chairman and CEO Mangala Wijesinghe urge stakeholders to submit key challenges faced by sector to Export Development Council of Ministers meeting to secure high-level policy attention and resolution

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (SLPMA) has recently held a constructive dialogue to chart a collaborative path for strengthening country’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sector with an eye on export expansion and overcoming regulatory bottlenecks.

Recognised an emerging sector, the local pharmaceutical industry has attracted over Rs. 100 billion in investment over the past decade, establishing a production base of around 25 manufacturers. These firms supply around 15% of Sri Lanka’s domestic pharmaceutical needs and channel over 80% of their production to the Government’s Medical Supplies Division. Last year, pharmaceutical exports amounted to $ 8.07 million, reflecting a modest, but growing external market participation.

With the participation of key SLPMA figures including; President Nalin Kannangara, Senior Vice President Dinesh Athapaththu, Vice President Viraj Manatunga, and leading industry executives from Navesta Pharmaceuticals COO Dr. Janaka Wickramasinghe, Sands Active Ltd., Dr. Anoop Segar, and Gamma Interpharm Ltd., Chairman Kalana Hewmallika — the meeting highlighted the potential for Sri Lanka to position itself as a competitive player in the global pharmaceutical supply chain.

Expressing his views at the discussion, the SLMPA President Nalin Kannangara highlighted that the 23 member companies of the association supply around 35% of the pharmaceutical requirements of Government hospitals and produce over 235 products locally. He emphasised that the primary constraint in accessing global markets lies in meeting the stringent international regulatory standards, a challenge inherent to this highly regulated sector.

He further stressed the importance of extending the Government’s buyback agreement, which enabled local manufacturers to progress from 15 products in 2015 to 235 products in 2025 – to support manufacturers in scaling up production. The extension of the buyback agreement would aid larger batch production, helping manufacturers reduce unit costs and enhance competitiveness globally.

The discussion also shed light on the complexity of pharmaceutical exports compared to other product categories. Export procedures typically require registration with the buyer country’s medical regulatory authority, often entailing significant time and costs. In addition, documentation such as product registration certificates and GMP certificates must be authenticated by respective country missions in Sri Lanka. Hence, stakeholders strongly advocated for increased institutional support to facilitate global market entry.

SLPMA Vice President and Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee of the EDB Chairman Viraj Manatunga underscored the critical need for a comprehensive strategy for the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. He acknowledged the EDB’s prior engagement with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) – Sri Lanka, which laid the foundation for the current ADB-funded program on Development of a Strategy for the Sri Lankan Pharmaceutical Sector. The strategy is now in its final development phase following a detailed situational analysis. 

Manatunga highlighted that implementation and adaptation of this strategy would be vital to unlocking the sector’s full potential.

The meeting concluded with EDB Chairman and CEO Mangala Wijesinghe, urging stakeholders to compile and submit the key challenges facing the sector to the Export Development Council of Ministers (EDCM) meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Disanayake, in order to secure high-level policy attention and resolution to increase the export potential of the nation’s pharmaceutical industry.