Iraq moves to bring GSK, global pharmaceutical firms back
Shafaq News- Abu Dhabi
Iraq is seeking to bring major international pharmaceutical companies back to its market, including British drugmaker GSK, Health Minister Abdul Hussein Al-Mousawi announced on Wednesday after talks in the United Arab Emirates.
The initiative targets firms that left Iraq in recent years, aiming to broaden access to medicines and increase competition based on quality and price, according to a Health Ministry statement. Al-Mousawi met representatives of several drugmakers, with discussions focusing particularly on cancer treatments and vaccines.
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British Ambassador to Iraq Irfan Siddiq supported the meetings, including talks with GSK over its potential return to the Iraqi market. Al-Mousawi noted that the company’s medicines and vaccines serve around 2.5 billion people worldwide and that it had operated in Iraq for years before withdrawing.
Iraq is also expanding domestic pharmaceutical production but remains reliant on imports. Health Ministry spokesman Saif Al-Badr told Shafaq News in November 2025 that around 40 factories produced more than 650 medicines and medical supplies, covering over 40% of domestic demand.
Supply gaps have been particularly acute in cancer care. Nineveh Health Director General Dilshad Ali said in July 2026 that shortages and import delays had disrupted oncology treatment, forcing some patients to turn to more expensive private pharmacies.
