Neopharma, the Abu Dhabi-based pharmaceuticals manufacturer, yesterday broke ground for a Dh250 million expansion programme to permit it to undertake biotechnology and nanotechnology-based research and manufacturing. Neopharma's new plants will facilitate the manufacture of nutraceuticals, injectable preparations, topical applications, ophthalmic products and aerosols. In addition, manufacturing lines are being set up for an important group of antibiotic drugs called 'cephalosporins'. Such plants call for dedicated facilities and Neopharma has allocated separate areas for both oral and injectable variations. The health care market in the Gulf is estimated at $18 billion (Dh66.2 billion) in 2008 and will be about $47 $55 billion by 2020, according to the latest report by Alpen Capital. Alpen Capital has estimated the size of the GCC health care services sector at 46 million treatments in 2008, which translates to about $18 billion in value terms. The growth will be driven by both an increase in demand [increased number of treatments] and the cost of health care provision [average cost per treatment. The UAE and Qatar have the most ambitious projects in terms of the number of beds per capita and are banking on medical tourism from within and outside the GCC.