IFP- Hassan Alamolhodaei, the head of Khorasan Province’s Science and Technology Park, announced that Astan Quds Razavi – a non-governmental institute that manages the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza [eighth Shia Imam] in Mashhad, northeastern Iran – has financed a knowledge-based project to produce homogeneous drugs for patients suffering from Factor VIII deficiency.

“Astan Qods Razavi invested $3m in one of the largest Iranian drug manufactory plants which will produce recombinant factor VIII and is to come into operation soon,” he said.

“The knowledge-based firms of this complex have taken important steps in turning knowledge to product, producing wealth and meeting the technological needs of national and provincial executive organs in different industries.”

He went on to say that the technological plans of these firms have been implemented in cooperation with Iranian refineries, ministries and organizations, as well as public and private institutions, according to a Farsi report by Khorasan newspaper.

Mohammad Sadeq Qazizadeh, the chief of Iran’s Power Research Centre, also noted that the knowledge-based firms of this park have the potential to turn the Park into an economical hub in Iran if they put their abilities together.

Factor VIII is one of the proteins involved in blood coagulation. It is a protein which helps blood coagulation in consecutive reactions.

Lack of the factor causes Haemophilia A.

While there are over 100 recombinant drugs in the world, Factor VIII is one of the most complicated ones.

Iran would be able to save at least $60m if it could mass-produce the drug.