We will focus in more detail about the EU supported innovative Georgian pharma company that’s opening a new manufacturing facility.

The Georgian biopharmaceutical company BioChimPharm (BCP) has completed the process of modernization of its historic Bacteriophage (Phage) manufacturing factory. A 2-year investment project worth GEL 17.5 million (€ 6,000,000) has been implemented with the support of the EU, the EBRD, FAO and the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. As a result, BioChimPharm reequipped the plant in compliance with the EU GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) guidelines, an accepted standard in the European Union and the Company plans applying for GMP certification within the following months.

The opening event of the first industrial scale manufacturing plant of phage preparations that meets sterile (aseptic) production guidelines was attended by Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, Catarina Bjorlin Hansen, EBRD Regional Director for the Caucasus, Javier Sanz Alvarez, Coordinator of FAO projects in Georgia.

The newly modernized plant of BioChimPharm is located in Tbilisi, in the historic bacteriophage institute and represents the first enterprise producing sterile liquid dosage forms in the South Caucasus, covering the full production cycle, including the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs, substance), as well as primary and secondary packaging of medicines.

The Company has completed a 2-year investment project worth GEL 17.5 million (€ 6,000,000) with the support of the EU, the EBRD and the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. The company received support under two EU programmes. The EBRD provided a loan through Procredit Bank, its partner financial institution with the goal to bring production in line with an international standard (GMP - good manufacturing practice) which is compulsory for accessing EU and other international markets. The EU is complementing the EBRD financing with a cash back grant under the flagship EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line.

The EU and FAO awarded a matching grant of € 125,000. The grant is aimed at supporting “PowerPhage” production, a phage based, natural antimicrobial veterinary solution, which substitutes antibiotics in animal agriculture and reduces the use of antibiotics in meat production, with a focus on poultry farms. The matching grant is a part of a total investment, aimed to allow a 300% increase in “PowerPhage” production. The latter contribution was allocated on upgrading the manufacturing line, to ensure EU good manufacturing practice compliance.

BioChimPharm is a Georgian based biopharmaceutical company producing bacteriophage (phage) preparations. Currently, phage medicines are the only viable alternative to antibiotics. BioChimPharm exports phages to 8 countries, employs a team of 60 people, holds 2 international patents and nearly 100 years of experience in phage R&D and production.