Arwan Pharmaceutical Industries’ Collaboration with The Lebanese University

Arwan Pharmaceutical Industries’ Collaboration with The Lebanese University

by Isslam Moubarak

Arwan Pharmaceutical Industries, a leading Pharmaceutical company in Lebanon, has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Lebanese University (LU). The collaboration allows LU students to obtain on-site training in the field of pharmaceutical research through an internship-trainee agreement.

The Lebanese University was the first in the region to benefit from Arwan’s state-of-the-art facilities to educate and train their students on the concepts of Good Manufacturing Practice and Quality by Design. However, other universities in the region are now approaching Arwan to develop internship programs and curriculums that serve both the university students and Arwan Pharmaceuticals.

Not only has Arwan provided a platform for educating and training students, but they also are taking part in the development of the Lebanese community by giving young citizens the opportunity to train, learn, and grow in their home country. In July 2014, Arwan successfully trained the first group of 10 students interns of the Industrial Pharmacy graduate program from LU. Through Arwan’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, they were able to deliver on-site training and give the trainees the opportunity to work directly with the Arwan team. Each trainee and intern is provided full access to required facilities to complete their industrial project under the supervision of Arwan’s guide manager.

Arwan Pharmaceutical Industries, located in Al Chouf, Lebanon, was founded in 2009 for the Development, Manufacturing, and Marketing of critical Biosimilar Products in the region. The name Arwan stems from their motto, “Assured Reliability When Absolutely Needed,” because they manufacture reliable, life-saving drugs. Their market extends over 20 countries in the MENA region, as well as Europe through collaborations with European countries in contract manufacturing.

The Lebanese University was established in 1951 as the first and only public institution for higher learning in Lebanon. As of 2014, the university has 16 faculties, which includes a strong Pharmacy program, and serves various cultural, religious, and social groups of students and teachers. The alliance between Arwan and the university will be a first for both institutions. Mohammed Fakih, MS. Industrial Pharmacy student and intern states, “At Arwan, we witnessed transforming our classroom learning into a reality for achieving GMP Compliance and the transferring of experts’ knowledge to the next generation diligently.” Students are able to take advantage of Arwan’s advanced facilities, according to Sally Mjallal, MS Industrial Pharmacy student and intern, “the facility maximized my learning and thinking horizons for medicine manufacturing.”

Abdul Razzaq Yousef, President of Arwan Pharmaceutical Industries, explains, “when we established Arwan in Lebanon, we dedicated ourselves to the production of biosimilars. Biosimilars are life-saving drugs. They are niche products that are still not available in the Middle East pharmaceutical manufacturing companies. We are specialized in exporting those products to the MENA Region and Africa, and we are going to focus mainly on the biosimilar products that are required there.” Arwan’s internship program will allow LU interns to learn more about these products that are not yet available in region. Lebanon has a lot of advantages for the Pharmaceutical industry. Lebanon has quality hospitals, good doctors, and a lot of educated pharmacists and students. Arwan Pharmaceuticals is excited to continue investing in Lebanon’s future through the collaboration with universities across Lebanon.

Further details of Arwan’s internship program can be found on their website www.arwanlb.com