TEHRAN (Iran News) – Nearly 800 knowledge-based companies in the country are currently operating in the field of biotechnology and supplying their products and services to the domestic market, IRNA reported on Tuesday.
Among the companies, a number of them have made significant progress in the field of bioactive technology and have commercialized domestic products.
The Biotechnology Development Council of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology supports knowledge-based, creative companies and technologists active in this field and has provided the ground for the commercialization of products that help promote community health.
Also, laboratories and research centers are developing technologies in the field of bioactive materials based on accelerators and innovation centers.
Biotechnology today is widespread in all fields and is no longer limited to biomedical drugs; So that it has replaced the injured limbs.
Biocompatibility is an important and effective component in the longevity and quality of artificial limbs. The artificial limbs used as an alternative organ should be compatible with the body and free of contamination.
The main feature of these bioactive limbs is their compatibility with the body and they are used in various fields such as bone formation, repair, and tissue replacement of living organisms.
Biocompatible coatings such as bioceramics, biopolymers, and biocomposites are widely used in combination with nanotechnology, stem cells, and reconstructive medicine.
These coatings are also bioadhesive and are used as biotechnology-based materials in wound healing and care, and can be effective in promoting health by using their high capacity to help cells respond efficiently and effectively.
Today, bioactive coatings are used with the help of bone tissue; For example, bioactive ceramic coatings on the spine or bone fractures will result in greater strength and faster healing.
Earlier in May, the Biotechnology Development Council launched 129 production projects with the aim of saving up to $1.44 billion of foreign currency; the projects include the production of 27 biological medicine, 12 vaccine development, and 90 pharmaceutical raw materials through knowledge-based companies.
Over 5,000 knowledge-based companies
Currently, over 5,700 knowledge-based companies are active in Iran, manufacturing diverse products to meet the needs of the domestic market while saving large amounts of foreign currency, in addition to export the items.
The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.
Iran ranks 12th in biotechnology
Iran is ranked 12th in the world and first in West Asia in terms of biotechnology, as 9.5 percent of the income of knowledge-based companies and more than 60 percent of their exports are related to biotechnology.
Foreign exchange savings of $1 billion per year by producing 22 biopharmaceuticals, gaining the first rank in biotechnology products and vaccines in West Asia, and the presence among the top five biotechnology producers in Asia are among the country’s achievements, Mostafa Ghanei, secretary of the biotechnology development office of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, said in October 2020.
So far, 27 biotechnology medicines, 12 vaccine projects, 90 pharmaceutical raw materials, and 55 projects in agriculture and food security have been implemented in order to gain a 3 percent market share and biotechnology assistance to the development of the economy, he explained.
Some 8 major companies are responsible for managing the country’s 117 priority products in the fields of biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical raw materials, vaccines, probiotics, equipment, and chemical drugs, he emphasized.
