An Indian pharmaceutical company, which was awarded an EU compliance certificate by the medicines authority, is interested in opening a manufacturing plant in Malta.

A director of S Kant Healthcare Ltd, Samir Shah, said that the company, which has been in business for 82 years in India, was planning on opening an office on the island and perhaps even a manufacturing facility.

“We believe in providing quality medicine at an affordable price,” he said, reiterating Consumer Affairs Minister Helena Dalli’s earlier statement that an increase in competition within the market would see a drop in prices.

We believe in providing quality medicine at an affordable price

Dr Dalli was speaking at after S Kant Healthcare and Actavis Pharma Development Centre Private Ltd were awarded the Good Manufacturing Practice Certificate.

Actavis has a manufacturing plant in Malta that is inspected by the authority but the certificate was issued for one of its plants in India.

This was the first time that inspectors from the Malta Medicines Authority conducted a good manufacturing practice inspection outside the EU.

The certificate confirms that the manufacturer complies with European standards and allows companies to export products to EU member states.

It is valid for three years, although inspections could potentially be carried out more frequently.

The process to be granted a certificate takes between three and six months while the inspection itself takes around a week.

An increase in EU compliant manufacturers would improve access to medicinal products in Europe, which, in turn, would result in a drop in prices, Dr Dalli said.

Mr Shah described the award as a “proud moment”, adding that the past months, which included meetings and discussions with the local authorities, were a “learning experience”.

The company wanted to take this to another level and open an office here, he said.