TOSKANI PHARMA TO BUILD €2.5 MILLION PLANT IN GAMBIA

Spanish drugmaker Toskani Pharmaceutical has plans to build a €2.5 million plant in Gambia, which will be the first pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in that country.

The facility will be built on land provided by Gambia's government. Construction is set to begin next month, and the plant will be ready to begin production by mid 2007. The facility will produce analgesics, antibiotics, hypertension drugs and other so-called essential medicines for the country, which the government hopes will improve the quality of life in Gambia by ensuring the availability and lowering the cost of such drugs.

Local workers will run the plant, creating more jobs. Additionally, Gambia will be exporting pharmaceutical products to other countries, particularly in Africa, which will help the country's economy and increase the availability of essential drugs in other countries in need.