ACME Laboratories is set to begin production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) next month at the API Industrial Park in Gazaria, Munshiganj, despite the lack of gas supply. Sheikh Maksudur Rahman, director of ACME Laboratories, informed their factory is almost ready for operation. Anjay Kumar Bhowmik, chairman of the BSCIC, ensured that gas connections would reach the industrial park by next month.

The park, established by BSCIC on 200 acres with 42 plots allocated for 21 facilities, currently hosts factories of four local manufacturers — ACME Laboratories, Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, Ibn Sina Pharmaceuticals, and Unimed-UniHealth Fine Chemicals. A delayed gas connection is holding ACI healthCare, Square, Beximco, and others from commencing factory setup. While Bangladesh currently imports around 85 percent of its API needs worth $1.3 billion per year, industry experts believe local production could cover 50% through sufficient investment and R&D. Local API production is seen as crucial for the future of Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry ahead of Bangladesh’s LDC graduation in 2026.

Source: The Daily Star