Cooper Pharma marks 90 years with expansion drive to deliver affordable medicines across Africa and the Middle East

Marking its 90th anniversary, Cooper Pharma says its transformation from a Moroccan pioneer into a diversified international group is aimed at cutting costs, creating jobs and strengthening health security while widening patient access to affordable and innovative treatments

Cooper Pharma is stepping up its expansion in Africa and the Middle East with a programme of new plants and partnerships aimed at cutting costs, securing supply and bringing essential medicines within reach of millions more patients, The European can reveal.

Its CEO Ayman Cheikh Lahlou said the company was investing in new manufacturing plants in Côte d’Ivoire and Rwanda, acquiring a major facility in Saudi Arabia, and expanding its Moroccan base to deliver cheaper medicines more reliably to fast-growing markets.

Additional plants in Spain and the Czech Republic extend its reach into Europe.

By producing medicines closer to the patients who need them most, Cooper aims to reduce reliance on imports, shield countries from currency swings and duties, and stabilise supply chains that were badly exposed during the pandemic.

Its expansion combines a push to keep everyday treatments affordable with branded generics, while also opening the door to advanced therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases in markets that have long lacked access, Cheikh Lahlou said.

To underpin that strategy, Cooper has built buffer stocks of critical medicines, widened its base of raw material suppliers across several continents and adopted digital forecasting systems designed to flag risks early and keep treatments flowing to patients.

Around 400 of Cooper’s 1,600 employees work in sales and distribution, ensuring medicines reach hospitals and clinics across both major cities and remote areas.

In a wide-ranging interview with Juliette Foster, Cheikh Lahlou also highlighted the company’s commitment to international compliance and quality, stressing that all sites operate under global GMP standards with rigorous batch testing, traceability and continuous training for staff.

This is essential to ensure patients across different regions receive medicines that are safe, effective and consistent, he said.

Cheikh Lahlou also pointed to Cooper’s wider responsibilities, from an environmental charter adopted in 2021 covering energy, water, waste and greener logistics – including pilot electric deliveries – to corporate social responsibility programmes supporting more than 50 Moroccan foundations with clinics, screening campaigns and health education.

“If I had to sum up Cooper Pharma’s legacy, it is a 90-year journey built on relentless dedication to making high-quality, affordable medicines accessible across our region, while also introducing innovative treatments in partnership with global firms,” he said. “It is a transformation from a Moroccan pioneer into a pivotal force for health development across Africa and the Middle East, using Morocco as the hub for our ambition to become a leading pan-African and Middle Eastern pharmaceutical group.”

Watch the full interview with Cooper Pharma CEO Ayman Cheikh Lahlou on The European’s YouTube channel.