KUALA LUMPUR: The government will intensify support for domestic drug production to contain costs under the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP 2030), according to research firm BMI.
In a statement, the Fitch Solutions research unit said Malaysia aims to increase the share of domestically-produced medical products under NIMP 2030, creating a more supportive policy backdrop for the local manufacturing of essential medicines, including generic medicines.
“The Health Ministry’s offtake policy to procure pharmaceutical products and critical medical devices will favour suppliers that invest in local production, while also strengthening the government’s ability to renegotiate prices and prioritise lower-cost generic medicines where appropriate.
“Together, these measures will accelerate the shift in public procurement toward locally produced, cost-effective generic medicines,” it said.
BMI said in January 2026 the Health Ministry announced that the government had saved more than RM900mil over the past two years by prioritising the use of generic medicines across both public and private healthcare.
It said central to this effort is a “generic first” approach – under which a generic version, when available, is treated as the preferred prescribing option. — Bernama
