The Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies-members of the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ukraine (APMU), joined by other leading domestic pharmaceutical companies, have signed a declaration on reducing the prices of medicines.
According to the declaration, starting March 1, Ukrainian manufacturers will reduce the cost of their drugs by 30%. The price reduction will apply to the 100 most widely used medicines.
The initiative is being implemented in pursuance of the National Security and Defense Council’s decision on additional measures to ensure the availability of medicines for Ukrainians.
The UBA clarifies that this decision of the National Security and Defense Council also provides for the adoption of a number of regulatory acts, one of which is the full implementation of the “Bolar exception”, which has long been in force in the EU.
According to the UBA, the implementation of the Bolar Exemption will allow new and affordable medicines to enter the market faster, which will promote competition and expand patient choice.
At the same time, the FDA notes that “reducing prices is not an easy decision, especially in the context of rising exchange rates, rising import and logistics costs.”
“Pharmaceutical production is critically dependent on foreign markets: more than 80% of raw materials for Ukrainian medicines are purchased abroad. At the same time, investments in research and development of new drugs reach tens of millions of dollars annually. Despite these challenges, companies understand their social responsibility and are ready to take a step towards patients,” said the President of the UBA Petro Bahriy.
As reported, on Wednesday, domestic producers of the most popular medicines signed a declaration to reduce prices for the 100 most popular drugs by 30% starting March 1. Among the signatories are the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ukraine (AMPU) and pharmaceutical companies Farmak, Borshchahivskiy Chemical Pharmaceutical Plant (BCPP), Darnitsa, Arterium Corporation, Kyiv Vitamin Plant, Yuria-Pharm, Interchem, Kusum Farm, and Viola Pharmaceuticals.
The list of the 100 most popular medicines most often purchased by Ukrainians includes 20 items of Darnitsa, 17 items of Farmak, 22 items of Kyiv Vitamin Plant, five items of Kusum Farm, six items of Yuria-Pharm, eight items of Arterium, two items of Viola, three items of BCPP, and 10 items of InterChem.
Earlier, pursuant to a presidential decree, the government reduced the maximum supply and distribution markups on medicines from 10% to 8% and introduced maximum trade (retail) markups not exceeding 35%, which are charged to the purchase price including taxes.
