Philip Morris International to develop Russian herbal drug market
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 1, cont’d p. 7]
FAS and drug manufacturer cannot agree on price
In mid-September, court proceedings between SVICH LLC and the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) were held. The manufacturer believes that, as regards the VED price registration, the antitrust agency proceeds from benchmarking different dosage forms, i.e. oral solution and tablets. The FAS officials note that they cannot help comparing prices for the above dosage forms as the manufacturer has registered the solution as a generic of the tablet dosage form. The court took the FAS’ side.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 2]
Far East on track for development program
Vladivostok and Primorsky Territory are evolving as business and economic activity centers. In early September, the Far Eastern region received delegations from 56 countries within the framework of the Eastern Economic Forum. Then on September 12th, the Pacific State Medical University was for the first time the venue of the forum “Healthcare Industry: Far East’2016”. Despite the fact that the region cannot boast a large number of drug manufacturing sites, the lead pharma industry experts have firmly stated that they were ready to develop eastwise. Therefore, the main objectives of the forum that attracted about 200 participants were discussing the current situation and searching for growth areas for the regional pharmaceutical business.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 4]
“Bear” operations
Far Eastern Federal District sees growth in the number of discount pharmacies
The Far Eastern pharma market demonstrates a weakly positive growth rate in real terms, whereas in value terms it does not exceed 10%. The regional pharmacy segment is characterized by an overall trade markup decrease. According to experts, this is due to the growing number of the discount pharmacies using a strategy of extremely low prices when entering the regional market.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 5]
Diaskintest vs Mantoux test
New test advent to mass screening to result in 50% tuberculin demand reduction
This week will see a conclusion of the public discussion of the Russian MoH’s draft order “The procedure and timelines of TB preventive screening of the citizens” at www.regulation.gov.ru. The principle novelty of this draft document is a changed method of a mass screening of children. The MoH proposes to cancel the use of Mantoux test for children older than 8 years and switch to Diaskintest instead. No consensus in the professional community has been reached so far on this issue.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 6]
Tatarstan built a pharmaceutical plant
In early September, Nanopharma Development laboratory and production complex was put in operation in Tatarstan. The interesting thing is that the regional funds were used to build this facility for a for-profit company. Such approach to investing in pharmaceutical manufacturing has not been used in Russia before.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 8]
Pharmstandard and Pharmacy Chain 36.6 may lose their status of systemically important companies
On www.regulation.gov.ru, a draft government resolution is posted that approves new criteria of referring local enterprises to systemically important in terms of the Russian economy. Pursuant to this draft resolution, such status is only applicable to companies within the Russian jurisdiction. At the same time, there is nothing in this document defining that the owners of a systemically important company shall be the Russian legal entities as well. However, if the relevant amendments are made to the final version of this document, two of the seven Russian pharmaceutical companies will lose this prestigious status.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 9]
WADA and IOC do not trust Russian authorities
Before the end of this year, a draft law is to be adopted that makes amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in respect of increasing a liability for the use of doping by professional athletes and behavior promoting the use of doping substances. It introduces criminal responsibility for the persons guilty of the detection of substances prohibited by the international Anti-Doping Convention in the athletes’ doping tests.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 10]
Russian out-of-pocket sector report, H116
As of H116, the market share of the Russian out-of-pocket sector grew both in value (from 71.9 to 72.0 %) and real terms (from 85.9 to 88.0 %). The results as at the end of Q216 provide for the use of methods comparing the market development dynamics for the periods of various duration thus evaluating not only the growth or decline but also the growth rate fluctuation. This analytical report based on the out-of-pocket sector monitoring data provides for identification of the market dynamics trends, market elasticity threshold, best-selling trademarks as well for making a forecast for H216.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, pp. 12-15]
TOP20 companies in Armenian out-of-pocket sector in terms of sales
Certain pharma markets in the FSU territory do not receive enough coverage because of their rather small size. In Armenia, total sales by TOP20 pharma companies in the out-of-pocket sector as of H116 just slightly exceeded 52 mn USD (to compare: 2.37 mn USD for the same channel in Russia). But, if recalculated on a per capita basis, the TOP20 Armenian companies annually sell 17.3 USD worth drugs to each of the 3 mn of the citizens, the same indicator being 16.2 USD per capita in Russia. This report makes it possible to find out how the Armenian pharma market (Armenia being a EEU member state) responds to the current economic environment.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 17]
Do Russian regions need drug quality testing labs of their own?
Pursuant to a decision of the Northern Ossetia government, the state budgetary enterprise “Republic’s Center for Drug Quality Control and Certification” was liquidated last summer. In conditions of the regional budget shortage, some regions cannot afford to maintain quality control and certification agencies of their own in parallel with similar federal agencies, which means that other federal subjects may soon follow the Northern Ossetia’s example. At the same time, increasing the drug study quality and their economic efficiency as well as implementing the most advanced technologies is only possible within the framework of adequately equipped federal laboratories such as those under the Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare and Social Development.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 20]
Lekar for Pharmland
The Pharmacy Chain Pharmland (Ufa) started its operations in Sverdlovsk region. It plans to license 44 pharmacies acquired from pharmaceutical retailer Lekar within the next two months. Market players believe that such rebranding is unlikely to bring about dramatic changes.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 21]
A bone matrix production facility under development in Astrakhan
The first in the South of Russia human bone tissue repository (cryobank) for transplantation is about to open on the basis of Aleksandro-Mariinskaya (Alexander and Maria) regional clinical hospital. This cryobank operates using a unique transplant production technique proposed by an Astrakhan scientist back in late 1960es. This product, which is new for the region, is positioned as an affordable (in terms of price) alternative to artificial bone replacement.
[PharmVestnik # 29, 20/09/2016, p. 21]
