Special Plans Devised to Counter Sanctions on Iran’s Biotech Industries: VP

TEHRAN– Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari highlighted the country’s scientific progress and said special plans have been devised to counter US sanctions against the Islamic Republic’s biotechnology industries.

Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to a knowledge-based company in the northern province of Alborz on Sunday, Sattari said that the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology Affairs has special programs aimed at countering the sanctions, particularly in the area of biotechnology.

Iran has progressed well in this area, turning into the top regional power in terms of biotechnology, he said, adding that in the near future, great support will be provided for domestically made medicines and vaccines for the country’s livestock and poultry,Tasnim News reported.

“We have great companies working in this sector and we hope that this new move in the field of livestock and poultry will make up for the country’s dependence (on foreign) medicines and vaccines,” he went on to say.

In a ceremony earlier in the day, Sattari unveiled eight new advanced pharmaceutical products developed by domestic scientists.

The products include medicines and pharmaceutical raw materials, such as microplates, omeprazole, tamsulosin hydrochloride, naltrexone base, sitagliptin phosphate, and pioglitazone in various sizes.

In a speech in February, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran exports drugs to neighboring and non-neighboring countries and even to Europe.

In November 2018, the Middle East’s biggest pharmaceutical factory specializing in the production of anticancer drugs was inaugurated in Iran.

As the US sanctions against Iran have made it difficult for the people of the country to have access to some medications such as anticancer drugs, the factory is providing a wide range of such medicines for patients.

Iranian experts have in recent years made great headways in using modern medical technology to cure a broad range of diseases inside the country, making Iran a top destination for medical tourism.

M.Wassouf