News
Lanka and India collaborate to boost local pharmaceutical manufacturing Industry
Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association celebrates six decades of excellence in the western pharmaceutical industry
As part of the Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association’s 60th anniversary, Lankan drug manufacturers are set to forge a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with their Indian counterparts to enhance the local pharmaceutical manufacturing industry by leveraging investments and technology transfer.
A press release issued by the Sri Lanka Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (SLPMA) said: In 1956, Sri Lanka took a momentous leap into the Western pharmaceutical industry when Pfizer –Dumex Ltd, entered the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. This pivotal step marked the beginning of Sri Lanka’s journey towards its foot print in the pharmaceutical field.
The SLPMA was inaugurated in October 1963, under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, by pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, GlaxoAllenburys (Ceylon) Ltd, Reckitt & Coleman (Ceylon) Ltd., M.S.J. Industries (Ceylon) Ltd, Pfizer –Dumex Ltd and Warner-Hudnut (Lanka) Ltd. Since then Reckitt & Coleman (Ceylon) Ltd., ceased the manufacture of pharmaceuticals in Sri Lanka and the foreign shareholders of M.S.J. Industries (Ceylon) Ltd, successors to Pfizer –Dumex Ltd and Warner-Hudnut (Lanka) Ltd., divested their interests to Sri Lankan Companies, now known as Morison Limited, Astron Ltd. & Gamma Interpharm (Pvt) Ltd, respectively. The SLPMA has over six decades emerged as a force for national pharmaceutical safety.
Comprising of 23 members, including local private pharmaceutical manufacturers manufacturing in different dosage forms – ie. tablets, capsules, liquids, suspensions, creams and ointments, injectables, inhalers (dry powder and metered dose), breath induced inhaler devices, nasal spray, oxygen, saline and surgical instruments in various therapeutic categories, the SLPMA is proud to be composed entirely of 100% Sri Lankan owned companies. They manufacture more than 150 molecules of medicines, consisting of more than 50 therapeutic categories and exceeding 10 dosage forms. Local manufacturers of pharmaceuticals command 15% of the market share and approximately 25% of the essential medicines used in the government hospitals and clinics are supplied by such manufacturers.
The SLPMA has a network of more than 3,000 pharmacies across the country extending its reach to provide locally manufactured western medicines to patients.
Private sector local manufacturers of pharmaceuticals entered in to agreements with the Ministry of Health in the year 2015 under a Public Private Partnership scheme which ware renewed in the year 2019. These agreements enabled such manufacturers to invest in new factories and upgrade their existing factories expanding local pharmaceutical production. This has allowed SLPMA to make available and deliver high-quality medicines on time at affordable prices and improve accessibility to patients.
The agreements with the Ministry of Health are also assisting members of the SLPMA to develop the export of medicines to Asian countries, which will contribute to the earning of valuable foreign exchange.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Fair weather will prevail except for a few showers in the Uva, Eastern, Western and Central provinces and in Galle, Matara and Rathnapura districts
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Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
AKD: Govt. agenda on track despite Ditwah disaster
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