The CARICOM Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Initiative aims to establish pharmaceutical manufacturing capability in Antigua and Barbuda as a foundation for wider regional production and distribution. The first phase focuses on packaging, labelling, serialization, quality control release testing and warehousing for essential medicines supplied through established pharmaceutical partners. The initiative seeks to strengthen regional medicine access, reduce import dependence, support health-system resilience and create skilled employment opportunities across the Caribbean.
Project overview
Investment opportunity
The project offers investors an opportunity to support the development of a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing platform serving CARICOM markets. Phase 1 requires approximately US$18.45 million in capital investment and is expected to generate a project IRR of 17.8% and an NPV of US$6.3 million under the base case. The initiative is seeking equity investment, DFI support, strategic pharmaceutical partners and long-term customer agreements to support commercialisation and future expansion.
Investment types sought
Project status
Development stage
Feasibility & due diligence
Current status / progress to date
Feasibility work, financial modelling and implementation planning have been completed. The project is currently focused on validating customer demand, securing commercial agreements, finalising regulatory pathways, confirming site requirements and mobilising investment for Phase 1 implementation.
Additional project information
- Lead agency
- Antigua and Barbuda Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Advisory Group
Expected impact
Jobs created / supported
The project is expected to create approximately 90 direct jobs in Year 1, increasing to 115 in Year 2 and 130 direct jobs at full scale, in addition to 25-40 outsourced roles.
Economic & development benefits
- Improves regional access to essential medicines
- Reduces dependence on imported pharmaceutical products
- Strengthens health-system resilience and medicine supply security across CARICOM
- Creates skilled employment opportunities in pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality assurance and supply chain management
- Supports regional value retention through local production and processing
Climate & resilience benefits
- Strengthens supply chain resilience through regional pharmaceutical production
- Reduces vulnerability to international supply disruptions
- Incorporates hurricane- and seismic-resilient facility design
- Supports continuity of medicine access during emergencies and crises
Contact
Contact team
For more information about this project, please contact the Commonwealth Investment Platform team.