The French pharmaceutical laboratory Biogaran, a subsidiary of the Servier group specializing in generic drugs, announces the kick-off of its commercial activities in Senegal. Biogaran continues its development on the African continent after its launch in Côte d’Ivoire, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon in 2019, and then Senegal and Mali in 2020, thus reinforcing its commitment to providing high-quality generic medicines at an affordable price.
Dakar, February 20, 2020 – The French pharmaceutical laboratory Biogaran is strengthening its presence in Africa by deploying its commercial activities in Senegal. The official launching ceremony took place on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at the Terrou-Bi hotel in Dakar, in the presence of 250 guests including Alassane Mbengue, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health and Social Action of Senegal, Professor Yerim Diop, General Manager of the Directorate of Pharmacy and Medicine, Professor Damien Sène, Head of Internal Medicine at Lariboisière Hospital and Emmanuel Le Doeuff, Biogaran General Manager and Director of International Affairs.
Considering health as a priority since the first National Health and Social Development Plan (PNDSS) of 1998, the State of Senegal built one of the most advanced health sectors of West Africa, thus explaining the choice of Biogaran to launch its activities there. Biogaran will propose generic drugs chosen in close collaboration with the Department of Pharmacy and Medicine of Senegal (DPM) to meet local public health challenges. From 7 different therapeutic areas, these 24 generic bioequivalent drugs are of great interest to patients in Senegal because of their poor availability on the market. Biogaran medicines in Senegal therefore cover a wide range of
pathologies particularly common in Senegal such as hypertension, diabetes and cancer, among others. Biogaran also aims to market 10 new drugs each year in order to meet the country's public
health challenges as defined in the new PNDSS of 2019.
Moreover, Biogaran is committed to supporting health professionals and patients in the delivery and management of treatments. A pharmacist based in Abidjan is available to collect pharmacovigilance cases and provide healthcare professionals with quality medical information on Biogaran drugs. Additionally, therapeutic education tools will be made available to inform and support patients in their treatment.
The development of Biogaran in Senegal also aims for fighting against the proliferation of counterfeit medicines, mainly present in sub-Saharan Africa where they cause nearly 100,000 deaths each year, according to the WHO. In this context, the Biogaran laboratory is committed to supplying patients in Senegal with affordable and safe generic medicines, directly imported from France, where it treats 27 million patients every day. Moreover, its tamper-proof packaging guarantees patients the intake of a quality drug, produced in strict compliance with European standards.
Finally, Biogaran collaborates with local organizations such as the International Association for the Development and Education of Ngohe (AIDE Ngohe), which assists the Ngohe area’s inhabitants on education, health, sports, cultural and socio-economic matters. This collaboration will result in the organization of free consultation days, distribution of drugs and screenings to promote health and therapeutic education among the populations of Senegal.
"Our strategy in Africa aims at democratizing high-quality generic medicines across the continent. This commitment in favor of populations in Africa also reflects in a support and advice service in the use of our medicines. In Africa, Biogaran wishes to become the privileged partner of patients, health professionals and public authorities in the sector." says Emmanuel Le Doeuff, General Manager and International Affairs Director.
added on this subject: "We are pleased to welcome Biogaran today with the certainty that this laboratory will offer an affordable, safe and effective solution to the problem of accessibility to medicines on our territory. The drug policy is one of the priorities of our governance in health, which is why we will support Biogaran in its development, for the benefit of the population of Senegal." After the acquisition of the Swipha laboratory in Nigeria in 2017 and the launch of its commercial activities in Côte d'Ivoire, Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon in 2019, the development of Biogaran in Senegal, and then in Mali starting from February the 21st, is part of a continuing
expansion strategy into African markets wherein it will meet the demand for high-quality pharmaceutical products at a fair price that can be used safely.
About Biogaran
Biogaran is a French pharmaceutical laboratory specialized in generic drugs, a subsidiary of Servier and headquartered in Colombes (France). Founded in 1996, it is now the French leader in generic drugs.
In 2019, Biogaran generated gross sales of €1.360 billion with more than 300 million units sold. Internationally, the group is present in Brazil through Pharlab. The acquisition of Swipha in 2017, a Nigerian generic drug laboratory, marked its first operation in Africa.
More information: www.biogaran.fr
