(Ecofin Agency) - The pharmaceutical company Cipla inaugurated on October 14, a plant specialized in the production of solutions for the treatment of respiratory diseases, in the presence of Moroccan health minister, Anas Doukkali.

Constructed at Ain El Aouda, a suburb in Rabat, Morocco’s capital, on a 4,000 m² field, this plant is the result of the partnership between two Moroccan companies namely Pharmaceutical Institute and Cooper Pharma.

The site which required an investment of MAD60 million ($6.4 million) has a yearly production capacity of 1.5 million metered dose inhalers (MDI).

Overall, fifteen types of MDIs will be manufactured on the site, eleven of which are being commercialized in Morocco for the first time. Apart from the Moroccan market, these inhalers should also be exported to African markets.

Specialized in the production of genetic medicines, Cipla exports its products towards 160 countries and generates a turnover of 1.7 billion. In Africa, the Indian group already has plants in South Africa and Uganda.

Cooper Pharma already has two production plants in Morocco. The group also created a representation in Dubai in 2013. Last March, it signed a MoU with Côte d'Ivoire to set a production plant.  

The Pharmaceutical Institute operates in the in-licensed pharmaceutical products sector and generates a turnover of $40 million.