Ramaphosa to Launch CSIR’s FuturePharma Facility in Pretoria
Pretoria, The Gulf Observer: President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday officiate the launch of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) FuturePharma facility in Pretoria, marking an important step towards strengthening South Africa’s pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing capacity.
According to the Presidency, the launch represents a significant milestone in efforts to expand the country’s domestic capacity to develop and manufacture critical medicines and pharmaceutical products while strengthening the national pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem.
FuturePharma is an open-access pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing facility established by the CSIR to support the development and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other pharmaceutical technologies. It is also designed to strengthen South Africa’s pharmaceutical value chain.
The facility seeks to bridge the gap between promising laboratory research and the development, scale-up and commercialisation of pharmaceutical technologies. It will provide researchers, innovators and industry partners with access to specialised infrastructure and technical expertise to advance technologies towards manufacturing.
The Presidency said FuturePharma would also facilitate technology transfer and skills development, while supporting greater local production of APIs and medicines.
The initiative is expected to help reduce South Africa’s dependence on imported pharmaceutical products and strengthen security of supply.
The facility will further contribute to the country’s preparedness for future pandemics and health emergencies by enhancing domestic pharmaceutical capabilities and manufacturing capacity.
The launch is expected to bring together members of the Executive, senior government officials, representatives of the science and innovation community, and industry stakeholders.
