Iran-made coronavirus medicine to hit shelves in 3 weeks, official says

Local Iranian firms have been critical in containing the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, Iranian Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari explained.

By AARON REICH
An Iranian flag flutters in front of the IAEA headquarters in Vienna (photo credit: REUTERS/ LEONHARD FOEGER)
An Iranian flag flutters in front of the IAEA headquarters in Vienna
(photo credit: REUTERS/ LEONHARD FOEGER)
An Iranian-made medicine designed to help combat the novel coronavirus will hit shelves domestically in just three weeks, Iran's semi-official news agency ISNA reported Sunday.
The announcement was made by Iranian Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari, during a visit to the sci-tech park in the Hamadan province in central Iran. During the visit, he saw firsthand accounts of the projects made by the various firms at the park, who he says have been critical in containing the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
According to Sattari, these firms have been able to meet nearly all domestic needs for necessary equipment needed to fight the ongoing pandemic. Iran was battered heavily by the pandemic, after spreading in the holy city of Qom and creating a severe crisis. At one point, Iran was among the worst-hit nations globally, alongside Italy, Spain and China.
However, Sattari believes that utilizing innovation and technological knowhow to push through during that period was one of the few positives to come out of the crisis.
“We have imported almost no equipment required to fight coronavirus,” he said, according to ISNA.
“During the coronavirus outbreak, knowledge-based companies tapped into their potential and met domestic need without reliance on imports.”
These necessities include comparatively simple equipment such as face masks, as well as more complex equipment such as ventilators.
“Iran produces masks, medical equipment, and ventilators (artificial respiration devices) domestically, and during this period, not even a single ventilator, which has a complex manufacturing process, has been imported into the country,” he said, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.