Saudi Arabia’s ambitious shift towards localisation of pharmaceuticals now encompasses genomics, precision medicine, and AI, aiming to build a comprehensive life sciences ecosystem that secures medicine supplies and enhances personalised healthcare capabilities.
Saudi Arabia’s drive to localise drug production is moving beyond factory lines and into the more ambitious territory of genomics, precision medicine and data-led healthcare. Fadi Al-Buhairan, chief executive of Lifera Group, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the company’s insulin localisation programme is designed to meet about 65% of domestic demand once it reaches full capacity, a target that reflects both industrial capability and a wider push for pharmaceutical security.
Insulin sits at the centre of that strategy because it is a medicine patients need continuously, making any disruption to supply especially difficult to absorb. Al-Buhairan said local production should be seen not merely as an economic project but as part of a broader effort to safeguard essential medicines, including vaccines, which become even more critical during outbreaks and public-health emergencies.
He argued that localisation should not stop at packaging and final assembly. The deeper goal, he said, is to build Saudi teams that can handle formulation, filling, testing, quality control, engineering, maintenance, regulatory dossiers, procurement and supply management, before moving into more complex work such as biologics manufacturing and upstream production of active ingredients.
Not every medicine, however, is suitable for domestic manufacture. Al-Buhairan said Saudi Arabia will need to weigh public-health importance, supply-chain vulnerability, local demand, technical feasibility and commercial sustainability when deciding which products to prioritise. That balance matters because some essential capabilities may still require support, while commercially viable plants may not always align with national health priorities.
The most technically demanding stages remain cell culture, purification, sterile fill-finish and the transition from laboratory-scale work to industrial production, where quality must be preserved as volumes rise. Lifera says its partnership with Novo Nordisk includes technology transfer, localisation and capacity-building, with more than 60 Saudi specialists expected to receive advanced international training. But Al-Buhairan stressed that real transfer depends on measurable targets, hands-on work in partner facilities and a train-the-trainer model that spreads expertise more widely.
The next phase of the strategy stretches into genomics. Al-Buhairan said genetic data can improve diagnosis and help doctors interpret test results more accurately, especially when reference databases do not fully reflect Saudi populations. He pointed to potential uses in early screening, prevention, pharmacogenomics , the study of how genes affect drug response , clinical trial design and the discovery of new therapeutic targets. That approach aligns with work already under way at institutions such as King Abdulaziz University’s pharmacogenomics department and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre’s genomic medicine and precision medicine units.
Artificial intelligence is expected to play a supporting role by analysing the layers of biological and clinical data that make up modern medical research. According to Al-Buhairan, AI can help identify patterns, refine disease classification and improve the search for candidate drugs, while remaining a tool for scientists and doctors rather than a replacement for them. He also said trust will depend on strong governance, including consent, data minimisation, anonymisation, secure storage and compliance with Saudi data-protection rules. Institutions such as the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and Saudi genomic medicine programmes are likely to be central to building the workforce and standards needed for that transition. In that sense, the 65% insulin target is only the starting point: the real test is whether Saudi Arabia can turn local production into a broader life sciences ecosystem spanning manufacturing, research, clinical trials and data-driven personalised care.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
