State Duma to consider a drug subsidy bill
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 1, cont’d p. 4]
Manufacturers risk being late with purchasing drug marking equipment
The timeframe of the implementation of the drug marking system for monitoring the drug distribution from manufacturer to consumer remains the source of fears for market players. No transition stages have been determined yet; the only thing known is that by 2019, all pharmaceuticals circulating on the market must be marked. Manufacturers estimate that equipment purchasing, shipment, and checkout will take about 8 months, which means that companies need to start preparing for the drug market system implementation immediately.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 2]
Experts assume that mandatory licensing is driven by cover-up practices on Russian pharma market
The Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (AIPM) insists on taking urgent measures to prevent counterfeit drug lots in the state procurement system. The Federal Antimonopoly Service, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Economic Development have been informed that unlawful practices have been used on the state procurement market that result in disrupting biddings, supplies, and emergence of out-of-stock items. As roughly estimated by the AIPM, currently 7-8 generics are registered with the originator drug patents expiring only in 5-7 years.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 3]
Experts argue over support measures for low-end VEDs
Last week, the media brought up the issue of low-end VEDs once again. Journalists are aware that the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Economic Development, and Federal Antimonopoly Service are working on a new pricing procedure for drugs under 50 RUB; a draft bill will be submitted for discussion. If prices in this segment are liberated, the new procedure may come into force on January 1st, 2018. According to experts, the economic crisis has swept out more than 100 local trademarks from the market over the past 2 to 3 years. Last year, President V. Putin entrusted the government with the task of preventing such situation and thinking over support measures for manufacturers of cheap drugs. However, at that time, the government has not supported either price indexation, or subsidizing low-end drug manufacturers for 2017.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 4]
API manufacturing in Russia may be feasible
Renewal of API manufacture in Russia is in fact creating a new industry. Russia has failed to inherit this segment of the Soviet pharmaceutical industry, and now has to start basically from scratch. Launching API production is not a spontaneous idea by a couple of businessmen. In Russia, more than a dozen new pharmaceutical facilities have been built over the past few years; therefore, is it quite logical to supply local APIs for local sites producing finished dosage forms. However, politics starts interfering with the economic logics.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 5]
Experts call for stage-by-stage 1.5-fold increase in health expenditures
At a Strategic Development Council meeting in April, President V. Putin set a strategic objective for the Russian public health of increasing life expectancy in Russia to 76 years, and significantly reducing mortality of active working age population by 2025. The participants of the 5th International conference “Orgzdrav’2017: Effective management of a health institution” discussed ways to achieve the objective set by the president.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 6]
Eurasian Pharmaceutical Alliance created
On the wave of approval by the Eurasian Economic Commission of a basic package of documents regulating pharmaceutical and medical device circulation on the EAEU common market, a number of industry associations announced the establishment of a new platform for promoting the EAEU market development. Within the framework of the Russian Pharmaceutical Forum held in mid-May in St. Petersburg, a declaration was signed on strategic partnership “Eurasian Pharmaceutical Alliance”.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 8]
M&A deals are increasingly often closed in rubles
The economic crisis has made certain adjustments for the M&A market. One of the important consequences of the recession is that the buy/sell settlements have started to be made in rubles. After the ruble devaluation, market players have required some time to get adjusted to the new reality. This is true for all sectors, including pharma. Therefore, the M&A number is set to grow.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 8]
To cut health costs, experts suggest to get Russians used to healthy lifestyle
Budgetary spending for beneficial drug coverage at all levels will grow due to emergence of new disabled citizens unless the beneficiary category is extended, and early diagnostics of non-infectious diseases causing disability is improved. Public health experts attempted at demonstrating that investing in this sphere may be profitable using specific facts and figures during the roundtable discussion at the Public Chamber on May 17.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 10]
Far from all pharma market players welcome consolidation
Consolidation in the distribution and pharmacy sectors is gaining ground. Interestingly, in earlier times, pharma companies just stated this fact, and forecasted further trends. Presently, increasingly often projects emerge that put a brake on this process. Besides, company representatives themselves say that a larger number of market players supports competition that must provide for optimum conditions for business activities.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 11]
Experts explained how to validate bioavailability and bioequivalence to regulators
On May 6th, the EAEU common drug and medical device market was officially launched; the regulatory foundation for this market is common product circulation principles and rules approved by the Eurasian Economic Commission’s board. To launch their pharmaceuticals to this market, manufacturers need to register them to unified EAEU regulations. Market players are likely to face quite a number of quizzes on this path, one of which experts and representatives of manufacturers analyzed on May 18th in Moscow at a workshop on bioavailability and bioequivalence of generics.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 13]
Review of anti-asthmatic and COPD drug segment, 2016
The BA and COPD drug segment is analyzed in terms of procurement, prices, manufacturer market shares as well as sales leaders by trademark and ATC group/INN in year-on-year dynamics (2015/2015).
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, pp. 16-17]
Review of out-of-pocket pharmacy segment, Q117
The out-of-pocket segment is surveyed from the perspective of TOP20 trademarks and manufacturers, segment dynamics year-on-year in value and real terms, OTC/Rx, price categories etc.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, pp. 18-19]
Cluster Consortium establishment is nearing completion in St. Petersburg
Recently, St. Petersburg hosted the international conference “Clusters open borders. A Green Channel” with more than 400 participants representing various Russian regions as well as France, Spain, and China. Heads of leading industry associations, industrial companies, representatives of federal and regional authorities presented the results of operations of local and foreign clusters. St. Petersburg authorities stated that clusters per se were not enough, and that the time has come to unite them in consortia.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 20]
E-health development underway in Kazakhstan
The WHO defines e-health as using electronic communication technologies for public health needs, i.e. treating patients, training health professionals, detecting diseases, and monitoring public health trends. Director of Almaty branch of Kazakhstan E-Health Center Gulnara ISKAKOVA speaks about e-health practices implementation and development in the republic.
[PharmVestnik # 17, 23/05/2017, p. 22]
