Macron to unveil plan to relocate drugs production in France

[June 13, 2023]  PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday he will unveil a plan to relocate the production of key drugs in France to tackle shortages of imported products, ranging from antibiotics to paracetamol, that came into focus during the COVID epidemic.

"The long-term solution to avoid shortages in our pharmacies is to bring back our factories. That is what are doing for many drugs," Macron said in a tweet ahead of a visit to a site of French Aguettant pharmaceutical laboratories in the Ardeche department, southeastern France, promising to make "major announcements" on the issue.

In the immediate future, Macron cited in his tweet an investment of 22 million euros ($23.76 million) from British health group GSK to modernize its existing amoxicillin production site in the Mayenne region, western France, and hire staff.

French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Laboratoire Aguettant pharmaceutical production plant in Champagne to talk about the health industry, in Ardeche region, France, June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/Pool

This antibiotic, the most prescribed to children to treat infections, is regularly out of stock.

($1 = 0.9258 euros)

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten)

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