Dr. Mohammad Alsaadany, regional director at BioNixus, appeared on Al Shams TV's "Medical Files" program, presented by Ahmed Yasser, to discuss medicine pricing in Egypt. His remarks were reported by Doctor News on 26 October 2026 in an article by Ahmed Darraz. This post summarises the points he made.
The EDA cannot force companies to produce at a loss
Dr. Alsaadany explained that the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) cannot oblige pharmaceutical companies to keep producing medicines at a loss. When production costs rise and the exchange rate moves without matching price adjustments, he warned, the market can face shortages of some medicines and the spread of counterfeit products.
Exchange rate pressure
He noted that the US dollar has risen above 55 Egyptian pounds amid regional tensions, which puts renewed pressure on the cost of producing and importing medicines.
How Decree 480 pricing works
According to Dr. Alsaadany, the pricing formula in EDA Decree 480 is built on three inputs: the exchange rate, inflation and the bank interest rate. Prices are reviewed every six months, or earlier if the formula's result changes by more than 10% and that change holds for 45 days.
Any new increases are expected to be modest
He expects any new price increases to be limited, at around 10–11% in the strongest scenario.
Balancing investment and patient access
Dr. Alsaadany said the state is trying to strike a balance between supporting investment in the pharmaceutical industry and protecting patients' access to medicines. He added that the national drug tracking system strengthens oversight and helps prevent manipulation, hoarding and fraud.
Outlook to the end of 2026
Looking ahead, he expects Egypt's pharmaceutical sector to grow in both value and units by the end of 2026, supported by local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and by medical exports to Arab and African markets.
Source
Read the full original report in Arabic on Doctor News: Doctor News, 26 October 2026, by Ahmed Darraz.
Need evidence on how pricing changes affect prescribers, pharmacies or patients in Egypt? Contact BioNixus to discuss Egypt pharmaceutical market research.
