Nevian starts exporting medicines to Canada
Nevian Life Science PLC (formerly Novartis Bangladesh Limited) celebrated a historic milestone in Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical export sector by commencing medicine exports to Canada, reports a press release.
The export initiative has begun under a contract manufacturing arrangement with Sandoz AG, world’s no 1 generic pharmaceutical company headquartered in Switzerland.
In the first phase, Sandoz Canada Inc is importing multiple pharmaceutical products manufactured at Nevian’s Tongi plant against purchase orders from Sandoz AG, Switzerland.
Under the same agreement, several countries across Europe, North America, and South America under the Sandoz network are expected to be added as future export destinations.
To mark the occasion, an event held on 13 May 2026 at Nevian’s manufacturing plant in Tongi, attended by senior government officials, representatives from regulatory authorities, and local public representatives.
The chief guest of the event was Bangladesh’s Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Sardar Sakhawat Husain, who virtually joined the session.
This marks the first time Bangladesh has exported pharmaceutical products to highly regulated North American markets, including Canada, on behalf of a leading multinational pharmaceutical company.
Industry experts believe that such strategic partnerships with multinational companies will be the most effective way to expand Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical export footprint in developed markets.
Following the recent transition of Novartis Bangladesh into Nevian, the company’s shareholders described this achievement as a strong testament to Nevian’s internationally recognised manufacturing capabilities and quality standards.
In his welcome speech, Nevian’s Managing Director, Musawath Shams Zahedee, said: “When we embarked on our journey as Nevian, we pledged to uphold the quality standards of Novartis in Bangladesh. Today, through exporting medicines to a country like Canada on behalf of a multinational company, that commitment has been fulfilled. Nevian is now the first company in Bangladesh to engage in multi-country partnership-based contract manufacturing and exports.”
In his remarks as chief guest through virtual presence, Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain highly praised Nevian’s success in exporting medicines to Canada.
He stated, “The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most important sectors for diversifying Bangladesh’s export basket. Nevian’s initiative, in partnership with Switzerland-based Sandoz, can serve as a role model for achieving rapid growth in this sector.”
It is noteworthy that Switzerland’s Ciba-Geigy, with more than 200 years of global heritage in pharmaceutical excellence, began operations in Bangladesh in 1973.
Following its merger with another Swiss company, Sandoz, the company re-emerged as Novartis in 1996.
Operated as a joint venture with the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), the majority shares of the company were acquired in 2025 by Radiant Pharmaceuticals Limited, one of Bangladesh’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Following the acquisition, Novartis (Bangladesh) Limited was renamed Nevian Lifescience PLC.
Earlier, during its transition in 2025, Nevian announced that despite the name change of the entity, it would continue producing, marketing, and exporting Novartis medicines under the same brand names, same formulations, and same quality standards as a licensee of the Switzerland-based multinational company.
With the commencement of medicine exports to Canada from Nevian’s European Union GMP-certified factory in Tongi, the company has achieved the first major milestone of its new journey.
Greetings were also delivered virtually by Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury and Sampson Lam, supply planning specialist at Sandoz Canada.
In his remarks, Chairman of Radiant Pharmaceuticals, Md Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, said that the foundation of Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry was established through the historic Pharmacy Ordinance enacted during the presidency of Ziaur Rahman in 1976, which paved the way for Bangladesh’s self-sufficiency in medicines.
He further stated that the policies and plans introduced by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in 1994 for the development of the pharmaceutical sector would now be reinstated and modernised by the current nationalist government to further advance public health protection and the growth of the pharmaceutical industry.
The event was attended among others by Gazipur-2 MP M Manjurul Karim Rony and Gazipur City Corporation Administrator Shawkat Hossain Sarkar.