Uzbekistan’s pharmaceutical sector is set for a major boost after the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved up to $15 million in financing for Meros Pharm, the country’s second-largest wholesale pharmaceutical distributor.

The funding will support an ambitious expansion program aimed at improving access to medicines across Uzbekistan and strengthening the company’s logistics infrastructure, The Caspian Post reports via EBRD.

Under the project, Meros Pharm will build two new warehouses in Bukhara and Nukus while expanding its existing storage facility in Tashkent. The investment is expected to enhance the company’s nationwide distribution network and improve the availability of pharmaceutical products for millions of people.

Part of the financing will also be used to meet working capital needs and increase imports of pharmaceutical products from European suppliers.

In a first for Uzbekistan’s pharmaceutical distribution sector, Meros Pharm plans to introduce green-certified warehouses, incorporating modern sustainability and energy-efficiency standards into its operations.

The project will receive additional technical assistance from the Japan-EBRD Cooperation Fund, which will help the company implement energy-saving measures and develop a five-year corporate growth strategy.

The latest investment highlights the EBRD’s continued commitment to Uzbekistan’s private sector. To date, the bank has invested nearly $6.9 billion across 210 projects in the country, with the majority of funding directed toward private enterprise development.

Uzbekistan has remained the largest recipient of EBRD financing in Central Asia for six consecutive years, reflecting growing international confidence in the country's economic reforms and business environment.

The Meros Pharm investment is expected to strengthen healthcare supply chains, support regional development and contribute to the modernization of Uzbekistan’s pharmaceutical industry.