Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces 350,000 Liters of Plasma Annually
“Our company owns the first plasma purification plant in the Middle East, and the company was established with the aim of producing plasma-derived products in the biotechnology industry,” said Bardia Farzamfar, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“In fact, we are the first and only producer of plasma-derived products in Iran, and two years ago we processed nearly 100,000 liters of plasma, which covers about 25 percent of the country's needs,” he added.
Noting that albumin and IVIG (injectable immunoglobulin) account for about 85 to 90 percent of the economic value of plasma products, Farzamfar said, “These drugs are vital for patients with immunodeficiency, cancer, burns, and other critical conditions. Albumin and immunoglobulin (IVIG) produced by our company are extracted from blood plasma. Plasma-derived products are considered very strategic and vital medicines in the health structure, and millions of euros of the country's capital are spent every year on importing this product from industrialized countries.”
“Immunoglobin or IVIG is prescribed as a replacement therapy for plasma protein (IgG) in patients with deficiency or immunodeficiency who have reduced or lost the ability to produce antibodies,” he added.
In relevant remarks in April, Secretary of the Biotechnology, Health and Medical Technologies Headquarters of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science , Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy Mostafa Qaneyee announced new plans to establish plasma collection centers and deploy plasmapheresis machines in the northern city of Rasht.
“The country's need to plasma-derived drugs will be significantly met by the end of the next year with these efforts,” Qaneyee said.
“One of the active companies in this field has a production capacity of 300,000 liters annually and another company produces 80,000 50-ml vials of albumin and 72,000 50-ml vials of intravenous immunoglobulin, meeting 25% of the country's needs,” he added.
“Also, another company has 10 beds and 10 plasmapheresis machines for plasma collection,” Qaneyee said.
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