SLPMA tables strategic roadmap to build $ 1 b pharma export industry

SLPMA President Nalin Kannangara, Senior Presidential Adviser on Science and Technology Prof. Gomika Udugamasooriya -Pix by Upul Abayasekara

• Lankan pharmaceutical market valued at around $ 600 m
• Local manufacturers hold only around 20% of country’s market share
• Strategic roadmap aspires to produce 75% of country’s pharmaceutical needs locally
• SLMPA recommends multi-stakeholder taskforce to implement proposed national strategy

By Randima Attygalle

Calling upon all relevant stakeholders to position local pharmaceutical manufacturing as a ‘thrust industry’ which can reduce the forex drain and meet public health needs, the Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association (SLPMA) unveiled the ‘National Call to Produce Medicine in Sri Lanka’ last Friday following its Annual General Meeting.

Mooting a globally decisive, coordinated national strategy to transform the local pharmaceutical industry into a trusted, high-quality, and export-driven sector, the SLPMA envisions to cover 75% of the country’s pharmaceutical needs locally, while building a $ 1 billion export industry. 

The other key goal of this national strategy is to create 10,000 direct and indirect skilled jobs for pharmacists, scientists, engineers, and manufacturing professionals in the next 5-10 years.

Applauding local manufacturers who have braved many storms over the years, SLPMA President Nalin Kannangara remarked that the local pharmaceutical industry is yet to unleash its full potential. 

“With the right policy consistency and regulatory backing, we can build a true thrust industry—one that assures long-term pharmaceutical security for the nation.”

If all stakeholders come together for the right reasons, making Sri Lanka a self-reliant pharmaceutical manufacturing hub can be made a reality, maintained SLPMA Senior Vice President Dinesh Athapaththu. “I firmly believe that it’s not too late—Sri Lanka can still rise to this national mission,” remarked Athapaththu, who underlined the SLPMA’s pledge to deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare while expanding the export market and retaining local talent. The senior professional also emphasised on the need for the pharmaceutical industry to be held accountable.

The SLPMA was established in 1963 and today has a membership of 25 companies. They manufacture over 200 molecules across more than 50 therapeutic categories and 100 dosage forms. The dosage forms include tablets, capsules, liquids and suspensions, creams and ointments, injectables, inhalers (dry powder and metred dose), sterile and inhaler devices, nasal spray, oxygen and saline, and surgical instruments. 

The SLPMA’s member companies hold around 20% of the country’s market share and Sri Lanka still depends on nearly 80% of imports to meet pharmaceutical needs. Although the SLPMA supplies around 30% of essential medicines to the State sector, they account for only 5% of private sector demand. Committed to quality and safety, the SLPMA benchmarks itself with global safety standards. It also ensures the State health sector of a reliable supply.

The domestic pharmaceutical market is valued at around $ 600 million and 40% of the local demand is met by Government procurement and the remaining 60% through the private sector. The Guaranteed Buyback Agreement introduced by the then Government in 2015 helped Government procurement from local manufacturers rise from a mere 5% to nearly 30%, fetching over $ 200 million in private sector investments. The SLPMA urges the extension of this agreement for another five years.

Local pharmaceutical manufacturing, as the SLPMA reiterates, is no longer optional but essential. With global crises looming, coupled with escalating healthcare costs and the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the need is unprecedented. To realise this, the SLPMA moots a national strategy built on five transformative pillars of strong support, enabling regulatory frameworks, industry commitment to quality and integrity, development of human talent and investment in research, and supporting industries. 

To make these actionable, the SLPMA proposes a multi-stakeholder taskforce drawn from relevant Government Ministries, regulatory bodies, development agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Underscoring the necessity to give more muscle to Research and Development (R&D), Senior Presidential Adviser on Science and Technology Prof. Gomika Udugamasooriya in his keynote address threw light on the proposed Central R&D Management Institute manned by a high-powered commission that could take independent decisions in the best interest of the industry. The scholar also stressed on the importance of enabling enhanced intellectual property protection for innovations which are driven by R&D in the country.