New Delhi, Dec 10 (KNN) Saudi Food and Drugs Authority (SFDA) has invited Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals manufacturers to participate in achieving drug security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The request to the IDMA was made by the SFDA with a list of over 300 lifesaving medicines that are currently not available in the Kingdom, reported Mint. 

“There are a number of pharmaceutical products that are not present in the Kingdom despite the local market’s requirement for them," said Daara Patel, Secretary General, IDMA to member companies in a letter seen by Mint.

Apparently this is the first time IDMA has received such request from the Gulf nation. 

“Now, we have shared the list of the pharma items to our member companies However, Saudi FDA have not shared the quantity of these items; how much they want. So, I have written to them to let us know the quantity of each product," Patel said in an interview.

Saudi Arabia had a market size of USD 7.8 billion in 2021 for pharmaceuticals which includes patented drugs of about USD 4.13 billion, generics at USD 2.87 billion and Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs of USD 780 million.  (KNN Bureau)