A partnership between Chinese pharmaceutical machinery supplier Xin Weisheng and Pakistan-based Amaan Pharma is helping the country ramp up local medicine production, particularly sterile injectables.

The newly installed high-speed aseptic lines have boosted Amaan’s output from 200,000 to 1 million ampoules per day, making it Pakistan’s largest ampoule manufacturer by volume. Ampoules—small sealed glass containers—are essential in delivering sterile medications for a range of conditions.

These include treatments for arthritis, immune system and hormone disorders, vitamin B12 deficiency, and bowel diseases — some of the country’s most pressing health challenges.

Automation cuts waste, improves efficiency

Xin Weisheng’s equipment is equipped with automated systems designed to streamline operations and improve consistency in sterile production. According to Amaan, the new lines have reduced product rejection and breakage rates from 10% to 1%, while cutting production costs by 10%.

Aseptic processing, which involves sterile filling in contamination-controlled environments, is critical for injectable drug manufacturing — particularly in markets like Pakistan where domestic capacity has historically lagged behind demand.

Reducing reliance on imports

Pakistan imported around $823 million in pharmaceutical products in 2023 to meet domestic demand. Localizing more of that production is seen as essential to reducing costs, improving drug access, and strengthening healthcare resilience.

Xin Weisheng director Yuting Shao said the partnership had already produced tangible benefits: “Amaan Pharma has been an exceptional partner in strengthening our footprint in Pakistan. Its unwavering commitment to quality, combined with our streamlined production methods, has led to outstanding results as we work together to address the country’s public health needs.”

Strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains across emerging markets

Amaan Pharma CEO Kamran Butt said the past three years had been transformative: “Collaborating with Xin Weisheng has been a great example of what’s possible in Pakistan’s pharmaceutical sector. We’ve significantly boosted our operational efficiency, enabling us to better meet the growing demand for high-quality pharmaceuticals at a competitive price.”

The collaboration reflects growing interest in strengthening pharmaceutical supply chains across emerging markets, where domestic manufacturing is increasingly being seen as a strategic priority.