By Moaaz Manzoor

Pakistani and Chinese companies finalised nine commercial agreements with a stated combined value of $446 million, placing local production of vaccines, biological medicines, medical devices and pharmaceutical ingredients at the centre of a new business-to-business investment push.

Addressing the Pakistan-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare B2B Investment Conference, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the focus of CPEC Phase 2.0 was shifting from infrastructure and power generation towards high-value industrial cooperation, technology transfer and joint ventures in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

The agreements cover local manufacturing, product registration, commercialisation, technology transfer and phased localisation. The largest agreement was a $200 million collaboration between Lab Diagnostic Systems (SMC) Pvt. Ltd. and Sinovac Holding Group Co., Ltd. It covers product registration, commercialisation and phased localisation of selected vaccines in Pakistan.

Three separate agreements valued at $50 million each focused on vaccines, advanced biotechnology and reproductive-health products.

OBS partnered with CanSino Biologics under a $50 million agreement dedicated to the local manufacture of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, known as PCV13.

AGP finalised a $50 million joint venture with Shanghai United Cell Biotechnology for local cell-line development and advanced biotechnology manufacturing. The project will focus on recombinant human growth hormone, teriparatide and an oral cholera vaccine.

OBS Pharma signed another $50 million joint venture with Liaoning Ludan Pharmaceutical to establish domestic manufacturing capacity for levonorgestrel contraceptive implants over a two-year implementation period.

In advanced biopharmaceuticals, Genix Pharma Pvt. Ltd. entered into a $23 million agreement with a Chinese consortium comprising Intellective Biologics, Nanjing Cellnuo Biopharmaceutical and Tofflon Science and Technology Group.

The proposed platform will manufacture monoclonal antibodies, peptide therapeutics, insulin products and other biological medicines, according to the ministry’s statement.

Lab Diagnostic Systems also signed a $25 million agreement with Chongqing LianXin ZhiKang Biotechnology for the localisation, registration, assembly, manufacture, marketing and distribution of continuous glucose-monitoring products in Pakistan and selected export markets.

Weatherfolds Pharmaceuticals and Welcome Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. partnered with Tian Yuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. on a separate $25 million project. The initiative supports a local facility using synthetic technology to produce semaglutide and tirzepatide active pharmaceutical ingredients and their finished pharmaceutical forms.

Citi Pharma Limited entered into a $10 million strategic collaboration with Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group for technology transfer, knowledge sharing, investment and local synthesis of selected active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Lucky Core Industries Limited also formalised a $13 million agreement with HuaHui Health (Hong Kong) Co., Limited to accelerate patient access to Libevitug for the treatment of hepatitis delta.

The conference brought together more than 450 companies, including over 300 Pakistani firms and 150 Chinese industrial groups. It was organised by the health ministry, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and the Board of Investment.

Following the exchange of agreements, the conference moved into the first of three structured B2B matchmaking sessions. Information and facilitation desks staffed by officials from DRAP, the Board of Investment and the Special Investment Facilitation Council were established at the venue to handle regulatory and licensing queries.

Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal said the ministry and DRAP had worked for two months with the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing to conduct compatibility assessments and pre-map companies according to identified market requirements.

He said seven core localisation tracks had been developed for investment, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, high-precision medical devices and advanced biotherapeutics.

Speaking to Wealth Pakistan on the sidelines of the conference, Zubair Ishtiaq Saroya, director of Paktex Industries, said such B2B engagement could create better opportunities for Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector and benefit both Pakistan and China.

He said investment in local production by suppliers could reduce reliance on imported products and the associated foreign-exchange payments, while strengthening research and development capacity in Pakistan.

Credit: INP-WealthPk