The Director-General of Center to Supervise Medicines Production at Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) Heidar Mohammadi broke the news on Tuesday and reiterated that some 14 domestic knowledge-based companies are applicants for producing COVID-19 vaccine.
Of total knowledge-based firms, three of which have conducted laboratory production of the vaccine, he said, adding, “In addition, two of these knowledge-based firms have conducted feasibility studies for vaccine production in human phase.”
Speaking at the First Conference of Biotechnology Products, held at the venue of Tehran Olympic Hotel, Mohammadi stated that knowledge-based companies in Iran will soon produce two biotechnology drugs, albumin and "IVIG", which is a great achievement. Of course, there were problems in registering biotechnology drugs in the list of drugs that will be solved soon.
With Iran's progress in the field of biotechnology, the flu vaccine will be produced in the country soon next year (to start March 21, 2021), he added.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is ranked first in the region and 12th in the world in the field of producing biotechnology medicines.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the director-general of Iran Food and Drug Administration pointed to the high potential and capability of Iran in the field of biotechnology and put the current value of the domestic biotechnology market at about $600 million.
Turning to the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, disease in the country, he added, “Only $246 million and $483 million worth of fund was spent in the country for importing coronavirus-related equipment and medicines respectively since the outbreak.”
MA/IRN84199410