BioBusiness for Medical Devices — an Egyptian emerging tech company specialised in designing and manufacturing advanced electronic medical devices — announced the manufacture of its first 100% Egyptian ventilator with the latest technology — the BioVENT A Series. BioBusiness explained that the BioVENT A Series was manufactured in the factories of the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation as the manufacturing partner for this project, and under the supervision of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, which is the main supporter of the project and supports research and development activities in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, with the Supreme Council of University Hospitals as the lead partner in clinical trials. The company revealed that 500 new devices are being produced at an investment cost of EGP 50m, and that the company aims to double this number by the end of 2022, explaining that 50 devices have already been supplied to 13 university hospitals. CEO of BioBusiness for Medical Devices Mostafa Al–Wakeel said that Egypt is now the first country in the MEA to produce ventilators with 100% Egyptian technology that can compete with European and American products. "Many groups and companies have tried in many countries to produce this type of device, however, they could not manufacture a final product. Thanks to God, and after the many great efforts that were made by everyone who contributed to this project, we now have a product that exists today in hospitals and serves patient," Al-Wakeel said. He confirmed that the ventilator technology in the BioVENT A Series is 100% Egyptian in terms of its design and the software, however, only 70% of its internal components were sourced locally, adding that the device is cheaper than its foreign counterparts by more than 30%. Furthermore, he pointed out that the manufacture of medical devices is a very complex and time-consuming process that requires approvals from many different parties as well as a large team of engineers with different specialisations. Al-Wakeel also indicated that it was agreed with the relevant authorities that the device would support all types of treatment — oxygen or otherwise; non-invasive or invasive — provided that production and approvals take place in a phased manner, starting with high-flow oxygen devices, followed by non-invasive and invasive ventilators to ensure that the devices are built according to the appropriate specifications and standards of quality. Regarding the economic feasibility of the project, the CEO that ventilators are always needed — regardless of whether a pandemic is ongoing or not — as there is always a shortage in the number of intensive care beds in hospitals due to the lack of ventilators. Additionally, it is expected that the global ventilator market will amount to more than $18bn by 2030, according to global statistics.
