Wedoany.com Report-Nov. 30, Iraq is set to open the region’s largest cancer drug manufacturing facility in Abu Ghraib, 32 kilometres west of Baghdad, in December. The plant, built at a cost of 50 million euros, represents a major step in the government’s drive to expand domestic pharmaceutical production.

Hammoudi al-Lami, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Industry and Private Sector Development, told state newspaper al-Sabah that the factory has already started formulating treatments for the most common cancer types using advanced European production lines. Medicines produced at the site will be offered at subsidised prices approximately 50 percent lower than imported equivalents.

The Abu Ghraib plant forms part of a broader localisation programme that currently includes 19 factories under construction nationwide. Several additional facilities are scheduled to begin operations in 2026, while similar projects have already been completed in Basra and Karbala provinces.

Al-Lami stated earlier that the overall initiative aims to meet 70 percent of Iraq’s domestic medicine requirements within the next two years.

Deputy Health Minister Hani al-Oqabi highlighted in July that cooperation with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi plays a key role in strengthening the country’s pharmaceutical sector. Al-Lami also noted ongoing discussions with AstraZeneca regarding potential investment in a local production facility, alongside expressed interest from US-based Baxter and several Gulf-region companies.

These developments support the government’s strategic priorities for health sector improvement and greater self-sufficiency in essential medicines.