National Pharmaceutical Industries Company (NPI), Oman's first pharmaceutical formulations maker, will have a product range of 16 items in its new factory at the Rusayl Industrial Estate.

The RO10 million ($25.9 million) public limited company's formulations have been subjected to rigorous evaluation for certification on their efficacy under extreme weather conditions after trial production, A V Bhalerao, general manager of NPI, said. In view of its long-term growth projections, NPI has initiated preliminary talks with four global pharmaceutical giants to enter into a collaboration for the manufacture of high-tech controlled drug delivery systems, Bhalerao said.

The RO10 million plant was set up with government soft loans amounting to RO5 million and RO4.5 million equity. The investment cost includes RO 3.5 million incurred on plant equipment. The key advantage of NPI products will be their pricing, which will match or be lower than the existing products available on the market. NPI product names will be easy to remember and suggest their Oman origin, for example Omol for paracetamol, Bhalerao pointed out.