Emirates firm signs swine flu deal

A UAE-based pharmaceuticals company signs an exclusive deal to provide the Middle East and North Africa with the H1N1 vaccine.

ABU DHABI // A UAE-based pharmaceuticals company announced today that is has signed an exclusive deal to provide the Middle East and North African region (MENA) with the H1N1 vaccine. According to the state news agency WAM, Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) based in Ras al Khaimah has signed the agreement with the Beijing-based company Hualan Biological Baterin Ltd for the single shot vaccine. The agreement follows a series of meetings in Beijing between Julphar and health authorities across the MENA region. It states that Hualan ? which has already provided the market with quantities of the H1N1 vaccine ? must provide enough doses to meet the needs of the region.

On the company's website the Julphar general manager Dr Ayman Sahil said: "We chose Hualan as our partner because they offer the most credible and best possible option in the market for a product of the highest quality than can be readily available to fulfil the needs of the whole region. Julphar is very glad to be able to bring this vaccine to MENA and we are confident that we can fulfil orders in a timely manner." The news follows The National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) announcement in May that the UAE only had enough vaccines to treat 17 per cent of the population. Nobody at either Julphar or Hualan was available for comment. [e-mail]