Prime Minister suggests AstraZeneca build pharma factory in Vietnam

Vietnam is willing to license AstraZeneca immediately to build vaccine and pharmaceutical factories, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Chinh made the statement at a meeting with Emelie Antoni, country president Nordic at AstraZeneca, on Friday, within the framework of his official visit to Sweden.

The Prime Minister noted that he highly appreciates AstraZeneca's contribution to Vietnam in the fields of healthcare and pharmaceutical development, especially the company's support to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said Vietnam has issued many preferential policies for research, testing, and technology transfer, especially for production of some new drugs, generic drugs, high-tech drugs, vaccines, and rare drugs with technology transferred.

The cabinet leader added that he wants to see AstraZeneca transfer technology to Vietnam, employ more Vietnamese workers, and provide more pharmaceutical products and vaccines for the country's 100 million-people market and the region, especially anti-cancer drugs and vaccines and drugs to prevent and treat diseases for women and children and tropical diseases.

He asked AstraZeneca to continue accompanying and supporting Vietnam in improving the effectiveness of non-communicable disease prevention and control in the coming time.

In response, Emelie Antoni, country president Nordic at AstraZeneca, stressed that Vietnam is a strategic market for the company.

She suggested Vietnam have more preferential policies for the pharmaceutical industry, especially in the field of rare diseases, and shorten the time for licensing clinical trials.

These would create conditions for AstraZeneca and other foreign pharma enterprises to do business more conveniently and effectively, she added.

AstraZeneca made its presence in Vietnam in 1994. In 2019, the company was licensed to establish AstraZeneca Vietnam Company Limited and currently has more than 700 employees nationwide.

Regarding the group's proposals, PM Chinh informed about new regulations in the direction of openness and cutting down on administrative procedures.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government is committed to accompanying and creating favorable conditions for foreign investors, ensuring compliance with legal regulations in the spirit of "harmonized benefits and shared risks".