Sandoz Egypt Pharma and Ibnsina Pharma have today announced a distribution and promotion agreement for the Sandoz over-the-counter (OTC) portfolio of products, boosting the company’s commitment to broadening access to products, with the aid of Ibnsina’s expansive nationwide network. The broad outlines of the agreement amplify both companies’ efforts to reach a higher number of underserved patients.
Sameh Elbagoury, General Manager at Sandoz Egypt and Libya, stated: “OTC products are vital to advancing healthcare, and our partnership with a true market leader like Ibn Sina is an important step, catalyzing our ability on-ground to live up to our relentless commitment to improving access. Our OTC portfolio in Egypt currently spans eight products and we have concrete plans to expand, transforming it into one of our strategic pillars, alongside our generic and biosimilar drug portfolios.”
El Bagoury further stated that “By allowing people to recover from minor conditions like the common cold, allergies, minor pains and others, OTC products not only help people get back to enjoying their day-to-day lives faster, but they also help relieve the burden on the average citizen suffering from minimal symptoms, as well as on the healthcare system by aiding faster recovery and reducing the need for people to visit treatment facilities. In effect, OTC products are an indispensable part of the equation towards improved access to healthcare. Another important element of this partnership is knowledge-sharing and education, as it allows us to share the latest advances and scientific breakthroughs with pharmacist networks – the first and main point of contact for patients and consumers, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of the quest for science-driven health outcomes.”
Mahmoud Abdel Gawad, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ibnsina Pharma, said, “Our partnership with a recognized global leader like Sandoz is a testament that Ibnsina Pharma is the distributor of choice. The partnership will also boost our efforts to bring products to everyone in need, wherever they are. Ibnsina Pharma is the fastest-growing and second-largest pharmaceutical distributor in Egypt, with the capacity to efficiently deliver products to a large number of patients and consumers, leveraging innovative digital solutions to optimize performance.”
Abdel Gawad stated further “Our combined knowledge, expertise, and assets are definitive to helping us address coverage gaps across Egypt and achieving a breakthrough in access so that affordable, high-quality products are accessible and within easy reach. This agreement enables us to strengthen our position in the area of OTC products, helping us reach out to more pharmacists, and allowing us to optimize accessibility to non-prescription products for patients. We are proud of the network we have established which allows us to supply pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to more than 49,000 private and public-sector customers including pharmacies, hospitals, wholesalers, and health institutions, using a fleet of around 830 vehicles.”
Sandoz unveiled its OTC portfolio in Egypt in early 2022, offering non-prescription products covering a variety of therapeutic areas including gastrointestinal diseases, pain management, respiratory conditions and pediatric vitamins and supplements. While ultimately bolstering access to products and bringing value to the healthcare system, this partnership combines both companies’ unique expertise to advance pharmacists’ up-to-date knowledge and provide them with science-based information that allows them to strengthen value-based relationships with their customers.
