TEHRAN – A total of 547 knowledge-based firms, including 75 foreign companies, are participating in the 8th Pharmex international exhibition being held in Tehran from September 8 to 10.

The event marks the first major gathering of pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders since the 40-day war imposed on the country by the United States and Israel, Mehr news agency reported.

Pharmex brings together industry stakeholders to highlight the country’s capabilities in the production of pharmaceutical and chemical raw materials, pharmaceutical packaging, as well as specialized equipment and machinery for the pharmaceutical sector.

This year’s exhibition features 135 educational sessions planned to be conducted through workshops and specialized panels.

To enhance pharmaceutical and medical cooperation with other countries, knowledge-based firms are scheduled to hold meetings with the ambassadors taking part in the exhibition.

There will also be specialized tours for students to visit different parts of the exhibition, get familiar with companies and the experts operating in the industry, and attend students league.

“This year, Pharmex is not simply an exhibition taking place in the aftermath of the war; it is an exhibition shaped by the lessons learned from it.

This distinction is particularly significant. During the recent crisis, Iran’s pharmaceutical industry demonstrated substantial capacity to sustain production and maintain the continuity of supply. At the same time, the crisis highlighted a number of structural vulnerabilities, including liquidity constraints, foreign exchange challenges, pricing policies, dependence on certain segments of the supply chain, and obstacles to long-term investment,” Hassan Bayrami, a member of the Board of Directors of the Syndicate of Pharmaceutical, Chemical, and Pharmaceutical Packaging Manufacturers, said.

“Pharmex 2026 must go beyond showcasing the strength of Iran’s pharmaceutical industry and serve as a platform for demonstrating its capacity to rebuild, strengthen resilience, drive innovation, and deepen its integration into the regional pharmaceutical value chain,” he highlighted, according to the Pharmex Secretariat.

Pharmex is recognized as one of the largest and most prominent international pharmaceutical industry events in Iran and West Asia. The exhibition brings together leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, packaging companies, suppliers, technology providers, and industry professionals from across the region and beyond.

Iran regional leader in health system

In May 2025, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) director for the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) said Iran is a leading country in expanding its healthcare system and providing access to universal health coverage.

Lauding the country’s achievements in recent years, Hanan Balkhi said that by expanding primary health care services, increasing access to health coverage in rural areas, maintaining high vaccination rates, and reducing maternal and newborn mortality, Iran has managed to become a successful role model in the region, the health ministry’s website reported.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA).

Self-sufficiency in medicine, medical equipment is a priority

The issue of medicine and medical equipment production and self-sufficiency in these areas is one of the government’s priorities, Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi has said.

Medicine and medical equipment are two important areas related to people’s health, he said, adding: “We are trying to reach self-sufficiency for the supply of medicine and medical equipment,” IRNA reported

On January 13, the head of Iran’s Union of Medical Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters said that medical equipment worth around $20 million is exported to more than 60 countries annually.

More than 70 percent of medical equipment and 100 percent of normal hospital beds are domestically made, IRNA quoted Abdolreza Yaqoubzadeh as saying.

Also, over 95 percent of specific ICU and CCU beds and more than 85 percent of operating room medical equipment, such as anesthesia machines and other equipment, are manufactured with cutting-edge technology in the country, he added.

Yaqoubzadeh went on to say that the country’s need for medical equipment production is three to four billion dollars per year, some one billion dollars of which is imported.

Some 600 medical equipment companies are active in the country, producing around 99 percent of the medicine supplied to the domestic market.

Medical equipment manufacturers in the country produce and supply over 10,000 types of medical equipment to domestic and foreign markets. Now, various pieces of laboratory equipment are manufactured at prices much lower than the same foreign products.

MT/MG