US firm to launch pharma consultancy

Amreteck Pharma, a US-based pharmaceuticals consultancy, is set to roll out full-fledged operations in Bangladesh by November, aiming to enhance the quality of local medicines.

The company will provide strategic tools and systems to pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh to make high-quality medicines, said Anowar Sadat, chief of the company's local operations.

“Manufacturing good-quality medicine and acquiring more export markets are interconnected and Amreteck comes to bridge the gap and bring companies in compliance with each country's export regulations and standards,” he said.

“We would mainly provide consultancy service and facilitate the local pharmaceutical sector with experiences and expertise the company gathered in the US,” Sadat said.

“Formal operations will start by the end of November, when our pharmaceutical experts from the US and UK come to Bangladesh to visit the production units of different companies and find areas that need improvements," he added.

He said the company opened a branch in Bangladesh in July and signed deals with two renowned local companies to provide assistance in improving the quality of their products. A number of other renowned pharmaceutical companies are waiting in line for their services.

Amreteck will help companies achieve standards, such as the Food and Drug Administration for US, Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for the UK, National Health Surveillance Agency for Brazil, Health Canada, European Union and World Health Organisation that are required to export products to developed markets.

He said the company would assist companies in quality assurance, quality control, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) compliance, commissioning and validation and GMP audits.

“To us, it does not matter how big or small the company is, or how poor or rich the patients are, 'Quality' must be the top priority for medicine, which should be manufactured with proof of safety, identity, potency, purity and quality,” he said.

sayeda@thedailystar.net