Sanofi reinforces presence in Morocco
pharmafile | April 19, 2013 | News story | Manufacturing and Production | Morocco, Sanofi, emerging markets, logistics
Sanofi has opened a new logistics hub in Morocco to help it increase and accelerate distribution of its medicines throughout Africa.
The new distribution centre is part of the firm’s push to expand in the growing markets of Africa, and is accompanied by new partnerships with the Morocco government in diabetes, mental disorders and epilepsy.
Sanofi’s chief executive Chris Viehbacher attended a ceremony at the site in Casablanca with Mahsoussi El Aid, Morocco’s General Secretary of Trade, Ministry of Trade, Industry and New Technologies, and El Houssaine Louardi, Minister of Health.
During the ceremony, Sanofi and the Morocco government signed three collaboration agreements aimed at improving the care of patients with type I diabetes, those suffering from mental disorders and epilepsy, and training for careers in the pharmaceutical industry.
“I am very pleased to inaugurate the new Sanofi logistics hub in Morocco, which represents an investment of €20 million. It will become the largest distribution centre for Sanofi’s pharmaceutical products on the African continent,” said Viehbacher.
“As medicines alone cannot fight such diseases as diabetes, mental disorders and epilepsy, the collaborations signed today reinforce Sanofi’s commitment in building major programs with stakeholders in the public and private sectors to provide solutions for prevention, awareness and diagnosis for the benefit of patients.”
Sanofi has had a presence in Morocco for over 50 years, and is the market leader in the country. It has a workforce of 900 people, including the Maphar production site, a pharmaceutical development centre, and a new logistics platform
New logistics centre Ain Sebâa – Casablanca, Morocco
The new Sanofi distribution centre in Morocco covers an area of nearly 12,000 square metres and has a capacity for 14,500 pallets. It handles 1,300 product references produced by the Moroccan subsidiary, both exported to sub-Saharan Africa and destined for the Moroccan and import market. This state-of-the-art distribution centre combines new technologies, advanced services and respect for the environment.
The Maphar production site, located in Zenata, Casablanca, is certified by the World Health Organization and produced 70 million units in 2012, including 20 million units of the malaria treatment ASAQ Winthrop. Sanofi’s activities in Morocco include registering, producing, distributing and marketing pharmaceutical products (including innovative, traditional, and generic medicines, vaccines and consumer-health products) as well as dietary products and medical devices.
New collaboration agreements
The collaboration agreement between Sanofi-Aventis Maroc and the Ministry of Health, signed for a period of three years, will aim to develop standard care protocols for children and adolescents with type I diabetes.
This will involve introducing a standardised therapeutic education programme, upgrading the 11 existing centres for paediatric diabetology consultation, creating two new centres in Oujda and Agadir, and training health professionals and paramedical staff to take care of children and adolescents with diabetes.
The second agreement entered into between Sanofi-Aventis Group (in particular the Access to medicines department) for a term of five years, will be devoted to mental disorders and epilepsy. The aim is to reinforce care facilities for people with these diseases in Morocco by training 40 psychiatrists, 40 neurologists, 160 general practitioners (GPs) and 160 nurses, and raising awareness about these conditions among the Moroccan people.
The third collaboration will see the firm contribute to the National Contract Programme, which outlines a general framework for the development of the Moroccan pharmaceutical industry. Sanofi-Aventis Maroc will provide training to agents, technicians and managers working in the Ministry of Health in connection with careers in the pharmaceutical industry, and more specifically with respect to Best Distribution Practices, Health, Safety and the Environment, and supply chain.
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