Ghana’s leading sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing company, Atlantic Lifesciences, has produced and distributed the country’s first locally manufactured anti-snake venom serum, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s pursuit of health sovereignty and pharmaceutical self-reliance.
The local production signals the beginning of a gradual end to Ghana’s long-standing dependence on imported biological products, a reliance that has exposed the health sector to foreign exchange pressures, supply chain vulnerabilities, and high procurement costs.
By manufacturing the life-saving serum domestically, the country strengthens its resilience while reducing costs associated with forex-based imports.
The achievement also demonstrates how strategic international partnerships are positioning Ghana on the path toward its ambition of becoming an African hub for vaccine and biological manufacturing. The initiative is supported under a programme co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development as part of the Team Europe Initiative MAV+.
The production milestone comes a year after Atlantic Lifesciences attained Ghana’s first-ever Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH) status for a locally manufactured biological product, the Snake Anti-Venom Serum, marking a historic breakthrough in the country’s pharmaceutical capabilities.
Jafar Seidu Tonzua, Head of International Business at Atlantic Lifesciences, described the development as more than a corporate success. He noted that it represents a defining moment for the company’s young and dynamic workforce, whose average age is just 35. “Producing our first biological product and bringing it to market is a major milestone and a moment of immense pride for our team,” he said.
In July 2025, the Food and Drugs Authority granted market authorisation for the commercial production of the Snake Anti-Venom Serum. Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh described the approval as a turning point in Ghana’s pharmaceutical manufacturing journey, underscoring the country’s growing capacity to produce complex biological products locally.
Beyond anti-snake venom production, Atlantic Lifesciences has indicated plans to venture into the local manufacture of antiretroviral drugs. Such expansion would further reduce Ghana’s reliance on donor-supported imports and shield the country from potential disruptions in global aid flows that could threaten public health security.
Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd. is a state-of-the-art sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing facility located at Larkpleku in the Ningo-Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region. Established in 2017 with strategic financial backing from EXIMBANK Ghana and Standard Chartered Bank, the company has evolved into a critical national asset within Ghana’s pharmaceutical ecosystem.
The company specialises in the production of various sterile dosage forms, including Large Volume Parenterals (intravenous infusions), Small Volume Parenterals, Eye/Ear/Nasal drops, biological products, vaccines, and inhalational anaesthetic solutions. All products are manufactured in accordance with World Health Organization Current Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO cGMP), and the facilities are routinely inspected by the national regulator to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards.
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