Pharma market players argue about post Pharma-2020 times
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 1, cont’d p. 11]
FAS not to disclose reference drug price sources
The Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) presented its opinion on the new VED pricing procedure. The regulatory agency disagreed with the MoH on a number of key issues. In particular, the FAS is against using state procurement prices in the drug pricing process as well as against restricting cost-effectiveness of Russian reference drugs. The agency proposes reducing administrative barriers, e.g. not to have pharmaceutical manufacturers file a lot of unrequired documents. The industry welcomes all these initiatives. However, the parties differ in certain approaches.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 2]
Bacteriophages have clinical potential given antibiotic resistance
The medical community sees the antibiotic resistance issue as highly challenging: over the past three years in Russia, the death rate associated with community-acquired pneumonia not curable with antibiotics available increased by 67%. In 29 EU countries, 25 thousand people die annually because of polyresistant bacteria. At the same time, no new antibacterial drug classes have been developed or released over the past 30+ years, whereas pathogenic microorganisms have already developed resistance to most of the existing antibiotics. In this context, medical and patient communities increasingly often look at bacteriophages that are killer viruses for specific infections.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 3]
Pharma market players and Moscow officials discussed difficulties of state procurement
RNC Pharma that presented its data at a recent meeting of federal and Moscow officials with pharma representatives evaluates the out-of-pocket pharmaceutical market of Moscow at 130.7 bn RUB as of 2016, with an 11% growth year-on-year (y-on-y). Moscow market accounts for 15.2% of Russian pharma sector overall. The experts forecast a market 10—12% growth this year. The TOP3 pharmacy chains in Moscow are Apteki 36.6, Neo-Pharm, and Samson-Pharma. The state procurement segment has been steadily growing as well. According to Moscow government, it reached 75 bn RUB in 2016 (23% of the Russian state procurement market), with a 15% growth y-on-y.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 4]
New market launches underlie pharma companies’ strategies
Pharma companies look forward to higher earnings in 2017. Such information came from 82% of the respondents of Deloitte survey within the framework of the study “The Russian pharma market trends’ 2017”. The survey involved representatives of 58 foreign and local pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy chains. The respondents plan to provide for business growth mainly due to portfolio extension.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 5]
Carving up pharmacy segment
Market share reallocation in the pharmaceutical retail segment is far from being completed. Market players expect that several large pharmacy chains will remain on the market. Business consolidation may provide for higher profitability of pharmaceutical retailers. But what kind of retailers will these be? Before 2017, it seemed that the market would be divided among the companies already operating on it. However, food retailers offered their insights. Now it is all about planning. In any case, it would be naïve to expect a new, intensively developing chain emerging in the pharma sector. But it looks like there is one player that commands attention.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 6]
ASNA to fight with discounters using their tactics
Pharmacy chain ASNA declared about its readiness to fight with large chains aggressively expanding to Russian regions. To this end, ASNA developed a set of tools for standing to competition with federal chains that open discounter pharmacies next door. ASNA that unites more than 6,000 pharmacies all over the country speaks about its intentions out load without paying attention to competitors.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 7]
FAS to intensify cartel exposure
The Russian judicial system has a somewhat outdated vision of advanced cartels. However, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), in a constructive dialog with courts, is striving to find a balance between the evidence available and human rights protection from unreasonable pressure. The FAS uses the same approach in discussing implementation of a pharmaceutical insurance model with the MoH. Head of FAS Department for Social Services and Trade Control Timofey NIZHEGORODTSEV explains why the FAS’ viewpoint on most hotly debated initiatives often differs from that of businesses and core ministries.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, pp. 8-9]
Physicians prefer imported products
Over the past five years, the number of annual replacement arthroplasties increased 11-fold – from 10 thousand to 110 thousand. However, about 20% of such surgeries are followed by complications, which raises the issues of endoprosthesis quality, and replacement technologies used. The use of advanced technologies in medicine and manufacture of traumatology and orthopedic products was discussed at the First Eurasian Orthopedy Forum held in Moscow on June 29—30.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 10]
Contractors’ bad practices resulted in clinical trial failure
International clinical studies have been conducted in Russia since 1980s, but they became widespread in late 1990s when Western pharma companies realized that drug testing in Russia may be high-quality and fast. The studies moved fast due to an ideal ratio between the number of patients and the number of studies as there were very many patients, and very few studies. Most Russia patients are positive in respect of clinical studies; they dropout infrequently, and are rather diligent. In turn, physicians are interested in taking part in studies both in terms of money and reputation.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 15]
Review of cosmeceutical sales, Q117
A growing number of customers prefer cosmetics selling at pharmacies. Cosmeceuticals are part and parcel of a pharmacy product range, with the number of items increasing year-to-year. This provides not only for meeting customer demand but also for boosting turnover.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, pp. 18-19]
New logistics and marketing products may attract regional manufacturers
Local pharmaceutical manufacturers will soon face new business expansion opportunities. Transformation of distributors and logistics operators into pharmaceutical operators pushes the latter to providing not only logistic but also agency and financial services. ASNA is testing a direct agreement project, too, targeting small manufacturers without their own logistics and marketing strategies.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 23]
Ural researchers developed a diabetes mellitus drug
The Ural Federal University initiated negotiations with Sintez, a pharmaceutical facility in the city of Kurgan, regarding clinical studies of a diabetes drug synthesized by Ural researchers. According to the developers, they are ahead of foreign competitors.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 23]
Kazakhstan pharma needs skilled personnel and legal framework
Ruslan SULTANOV, a new head of PharmMedIndustry, Kazakhstan Association of Pharmaceutical and Medical Manufacturers, speaks about the current industry problems.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 24]
Russian pharma unwilling to invest in R&D
Science in pharmaceutical manufacturing was one of the hotly debated issues on the agenda of the past St. Petersburg Economic Forum. Evidently, science is the industry’s development driver. Everybody understands that; however, very few manufacturers are science-based because it is very expensive.
[PharmVestnik # 22, 04/07/2017, p. 24]
