The First Drop: Barbados' First IV Fluid Manufacturing Facility
Developing a state-of-the-art IV fluids manufacturing facility at Grantley Adams Industrial Estate.
What’s at Stake
The Caribbean imports about 97% of its medicines and depends entirely on imported intravenous (IV) fluids, making hospitals vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions.
Developing regional pharmaceutical manufacturing is both an economic opportunity and a strategic necessity for public health security, resilience, and economic stability.
BPI and AMA Medical Manufacturing are partnering to develop the Caribbean’s first integrated IV-fluid manufacturing facility. By leveraging AMA’s sterile manufacturing expertise and BPI’s investment, regulatory, and market access capabilities, the facility will improve access to essential medicines and position Barbados as a pharmaceutical manufacturing and export hub for the Caribbean and Latin America. The platform may later expand to produce additional high-value pharmaceutical products.
Where We Stand Today
The business case for the joint venture has been presented to and endorsed by the Prime Minister, and the Ministry of Finance has approved five-year concessions.
AMA Barbados has been incorporated, facility planning is in progress, and the joint-venture MOU is pending signature as the Cabinet paper moves through formal government review and approval.
On April 2, 2026, over 47,000 IV fluid bags arrived in Barbados from Lagos, marking the first phase of AMA’s Caribbean market entry. A portion was donated to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, representing the partnership’s first tangible delivery. Initial distribution partnerships are being explored to optimize regional market access and create scalable commercial pathways for pharmaceutical products across Latin America and the Caribbean.
“AMA came to this project as a WHO-GMP certified manufacturer with a clear ambition: to take African pharmaceutical capability beyond the continent. We were not looking for a location — we were looking for a partner who shared that vision, and in Barbados Pharmaceutical Inc. we found one. BPI’s leadership has opened doors to government, investors, and the regional market with genuine commitment. Together we are building the first African-Caribbean pharmaceutical trade corridor — one that will strengthen health security, create skilled jobs, and deliver prosperity for people in both regions for years to come.”
What Success Looks Like
The project targets annual production of 12 million IV fluid bags to meet domestic and regional demand, reduce import dependence, and build essential pharmaceutical infrastructure in the Caribbean.
Conservative projections estimate that a USD $32 million investment could generate approximately USD $128 million in cumulative revenue over 15 years while supporting the creation of more than 200 direct jobs, with additional growth potential over time.
The goal is to establish the Caribbean’s first and only IV-fluid manufacturer, with potential expansion into other high-value, high-demand products for the region.
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Careers
Every role at BPI contributes to building the pharmaceutical infrastructure that the Caribbean depends on. Join a team working at the intersection of government, investment, manufacturing, and regional health policy.
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Deliberately. Piece by piece. With the people it is for. If you are a partner, investor, or government, we would like to build with you.
