Rabat – Moroccan pharmaceutical company Sothema is actively seeking partnerships to establish a plant in East Africa, Reuters reported.
“The next step is East Africa. We started prospecting two years ago … we have some opportunities to build someone new,” Sothema CEO Lamia Tazi told Reuters on Monday on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Marrakech.
Tazi indicated that the company intends to replicate its success in Senegal with a second plant outside of Morocco, as part of Sothema’s broader investment strategy on the African continent.
The East Africa venture marks a strategic move for Sothema, extending its footprint and broadening its production capabilities to cater to the region’s growing healthcare needs.
The planned plant will focus on manufacturing “high added value products,” primarily related to crucial areas like oncology and diabetes, Tazi added.
She did not disclose specific details about the potential partners that Sothema is in discussions with. However, she emphasized that the collaboration would be instrumental in propelling the project forward.
Once a partnership deal is finalized, the company plans to secure the necessary capital to drive this ambitious initiative.
In addition to its traditional pharmaceutical products, Sothema is venturing into the development of cannabis-based treatments aimed at pain management and epilepsy.
The introduction of these products into the market is anticipated within the next two years, Tazi noted.
Since its creation in 1976, Sothema said it has been committed to offering the populations in Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa “easy access to treatments that they are in need of.”
“We firmly believe that the access to treatments is one of the essential foundations of the sustainable development of a nation,” the company said on its website.
