Iran to hit international markets with new vaccines

Iranian Deputy Health Minister Rasoul Dinarvand underlined the ministry's firm will to expand exports of its products, particularly new vaccines, to the regional and international markets. Rasoul Dinarvand, who is also head of drug and food organization, pointed to the ministry's future programs to develop new vaccines in the country, and said that the country's vaccine production industry is scheduled to produce DTP (pentavalent), hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza vaccines in the new Iranian calendar year (March 21). “Country’s vaccines are produced in Pasteur and Razi Institutes,” said the deputy-minister. Late in October, Iranian Health Minister Seyed Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi announced that Iran plans to produce seven new vaccines and also reduce its reliance on importing drugs by 25 percent in a four-year period. “According to the plan, 25 percent of (Iran's) drug dependence will be removed in four years … and seven needed vaccines will be produced in the country during the same period,” Hashemi said. He underlined that 95 percent of Iran's needs to medicines are manufactured domestically, but meantime said that the country has a 52-percent reliance on raw materials for drug production. “Under the new administration, we have set up the technology council for the purpose of producing vaccines and medicines …,” the Iranian health minister said.