Morocco Extends Anti-Dumping Duty on Danish Insulin Imports for 5 Years

"The conditions for extending the anti-dumping measures applied to imports of insulin originating in Denmark are met." This is the conclusion reached by the investigators of the Department headed by Mr. Hafid Elalamy. Thus, imports will be subject for five years to an anti-dumping duty of 26.09%.

The Danish pharmaceutical group, Novo Nordisk, had invaded the Moroccan market in 2014 with human insulin products (rapid, slow and mixed), thanks to its local partner and distributor Laprophan. As a result, Sothema, the only Moroccan producer, lost a public market of 2.5 million insulin vials, thus opening a commercial and legal conflict between this laboratory, founded by the Tazi family, and the leader in diabetes treatment, notes Challenge.ma.

It should be recalled that nearly 3 million people are diabetic in Morocco, with nearly 10% being insulin-dependent. Only a third of insulin-dependent people manage to balance their blood glucose levels, according to a study conducted by IDMPS a few years ago. This is due to a lack of information, or the high cost of insulin in the Kingdom.

In the private market, the selling price varies between 180 and 190 DH for the vial and 300DH for the pen. Given the extent of diabetes, the World Health Organization estimates that it could become the leading cause of mortality worldwide by 2030, the same source said.