Pharco Pharmaceuticals plans to invest around EGP 1.5bn next year, up from about EGP 1.15bn in 2025, to expand production capacity and strengthen its presence in domestic and export markets, Chairperson Sherine Helmy said. The company is prioritising improvements in product quality alongside expansion and diversification of production lines.
This year, Pharco allocated about EGP 650m to upgrade manufacturing facilities without increasing capacity, in addition to EGP 500m to establish a new eye-drop production line aimed at boosting exports.
The company is advancing a major regional expansion with a pharmaceutical plant under development in Saudi Arabia, west of Medina, spanning 62,000 sqm with investments of around $150m. The project is financed in part by the Saudi Industrial Development Fund and implemented in partnership with Ashmore Investment, with production expected to begin in early 2028 targeting Gulf markets.
Sherine Helmy noted that Saudi Arabia accounts for roughly 50% of Pharco’s exports to more than 50 countries worldwide, and the company holds a 30% stake in Batterjee Pharma to support its footprint in the Gulf and wider Middle East. She highlighted Africa as a key growth market amid upcoming TRIPS regulatory changes in 2033, with Pharco planning an integrated manufacturing network including local raw materials production.
Separately, Pharco signed a cooperation protocol with the Egyptian Ophthalmological Society and the Egyptian Society for Glaucomas under the “Nour Einak” initiative to support glaucoma patients through intraocular pressure screening, awareness campaigns, and a digital follow-up system for underserved communities. Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration has approved Ravidasvir as a treatment for hepatitis C virus.