Average monthly wage by region in June 2021, UAH
Farmak pharmaceutical company, one of the largest exporters of pharmaceuticals, has opened an office in the United Arab Emirates, and plans to further strengthen its expansion in the Middle East and localization in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, its press service said on Tuesday. According to the press release, the company’s products have been presented in the Middle East market since 2016.
“While selling drugs through local distributors, the company audited the market potential and analyzed the product niches of the region’s pharmaceuticals. This year, in order to consolidate business management in the Middle East, Farmak’s management decided to open an office in the UAE,” the company said in the press release.
The new headquarters will be headed by Mourad I.Habib, who previously served as CEO of Tabuk Pharmaceuticals and led Sandoz’s Middle East operations for over eight years. According to Habib, who is quoted in the press release, the opening of the office in the UAE is only the first strategic step for Farmak; in the future, the company plans to strengthen its expansion in the region and localization in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
The company said that at present, Farmak’s production facilities have successfully passed certification in the UAE government bodies. The company also registered a number of injectable drugs produced by Farmak, which are already being purchased at public and local hospital tenders in the region.
“The Middle East market is not new for us, and we are actively scaling up our presence in this region. We have chosen the United Arab Emirates as the center of activity in the Middle East,” Business Development Director of Farmak Viktor Kostiuk said.
At the same time, he recalled that the UAE has a reputation as a state with a very high level of the national healthcare system and strict regulation of activities related to the production and distribution of medicines. “The fact that Farmak products are represented on this market once again confirms the high level of quality of our products,” Kostiuk said.
Farmak is the leader of the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market. The company’s product portfolio includes more than 220 complex-component modern medicines. Among the main directions are endocrinological, gastroenterological, cardiological, neurological, anti-cold and other drugs.
The UAE office is the sixth international office of the company. In 2020, Farmak increased its export deliveries by 40%. Today, the manufacturer’s products are represented in more than 30 countries of the EU, Central and South America, the CIS, the Middle East and Asia.
Large international pharmaceutical companies are expecting the launch in Ukraine of a managed entry agreement mechanism (MEA), which will allow procuring innovative drugs using budget funds.
“We hope that MEA will start working this year,” Director of the health system development department at Roche Ukraine Maksym Proskurov told Interfax-Ukraine, recalling that the Cabinet of Ministers on January 27 of this year settled the procedure for conducting negotiations, concluding contracts and the MEA standard form.
Proskurov said that Roche is actively moving towards the conclusion of MEA. In particular, since April, the company has submitted four dossiers to the State Expert Center (SEC) for medical technology assessment, including three drugs for the treatment of cancer and one drug for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
“An important basis for the MEA is passing the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) procedure, which actually scientifically substantiates the need to procure a drug based on the treatment effectiveness/price criterion. We expect that in September-October we will receive reports on the completion of the assessment,” he said.
At the same time, Proskurov drew attention to the fact that within the framework of the MEA “price discounts can be very different, but they will be significantly less than market discounts.” According to him, the key aspect when undergoing HTA is precisely the assessment of the impact on the budget, that is, the effective use of funds to provide as many patients as possible with innovative therapy within the rather limited Ukrainian budget.
“We hope that the first MEA will be concluded this year, since without this mechanism it is impossible to provide innovative medicines to patients with cancer and orphan diseases, such as SMA,” Proskurov said.
In turn, Head of the department for work with government bodies of Sanofi in Ukraine Natalia Baranovska said that in fact, the launch of the MEA mechanism is a long-awaited solution for many patients in Ukraine and the entire industry. “After all, MEA is a practice that has long been recognized all over the world and an effective tool for patients’ access to innovative drugs,” she said.
Baranovska said that Sanofi, as a world leader in the healthcare sector, has a wide practice of concluding such agreements with many countries in various therapeutic areas, including the treatment of orphan diseases.
At the same time, she said that it is for orphan diseases in Ukraine that “there are still several unresolved issues.” In particular, currently the legislation provides that for the feasibility of concluding a MEA, the HTA must be carried out. At the same time, the conduct of HTA of drugs intended for the treatment of orphan diseases “has many peculiarities.”
“Therefore, it is the issue of HTA for this group of diseases that has yet to be finalized by the Ministry of Health, and we, as a company, are ready to actively participate in its further discussion and refinement,” Baranovska said.
Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko did not exclude that Ukraine is likely to introduce mandatory vaccination against coronavirus.
“I admit,” Liashko replied, answering the host’s question: “Do you admit compulsory vaccination?” on the air of the Freedom of Speech (Svoboda Slova) program on Monday.
The Minister said that currently in Ukraine vaccination is voluntary, but the government does not rule out some changes.
“Today, vaccination is free and voluntary. The question of the possibility of introducing certain categories of professions into the decreed ones is also being considered. This is a contingent that can come to work after a full course of vaccination against certain infectious diseases. Such options are being considered, but we have taken the experience of the EU and the U.S.: when restrictions are introduced, but they do not apply to vaccinated people,” Liashko said. In addition, the Minister allowed the possibility of vaccination among adolescents from 12 years of age.
“We expect and will launch a mass vaccination campaign among adolescents aged 12 and older. It’s time for everything,” he said.
According to him, priority will be given to people over 60, as 82% of all deaths are in this category.
On September, 25 and 26 plunge into the amazing world of horse-trick art! «Centaurs» – is the festival, which unites the best stuntmen of Ukraine, that represent our country on international festivals and participate in the world show-programs.
The participants will demonstrate amazing tricks: riding upside down, backwards, on two horses at the same time, they will slide beneath the horse, build «pyramids». And all of this at full gallop!
Arabesques, Cossack drags, pistols and French crosses – this is not the full list of breathtaking tricks, which can be seen on the «Centaurs» festival.
The event will be carried out in accordance with the quarantine measures.
Ancient Kyiv opens at 10:00, the program will begin at 13:30.
The ticket price: a full adult ticket – 250 UAH, for pensioners and students – 150 UAH, for schoolchildren – 100 UAH, for preschool children – for free.
Ancient Kyiv in the «Kyivan Rus Park» is located in Kyiv region, Obukhiv district, the vill. Kopachiv.
Details on the website www.parkkyivrus.com
Subscribers can save their money using the “openbusiness-20” promo code for a 20%-discount for a full price adult ticket to the Principality of Kyivan Rus:
– by previous order by tel.: +38 044 461-99-37, +38 050 385-20-35
– or at the cash desk at the entrance to the «Kyivan Rus Park».
Solvent banks of Ukraine in January-August 2021 received UAH 45.592 billion of net profit, which is 1.4 times more than in the same period in 2020 (UAH 32.677 billion), according to data published on the website of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU). According to the report, bank incomes for the eight months of this year increased by 2.2% against the figure for the same period last year – up to UAH 172.681 billion, in particular commission income increased by 35% – up to UAH 58 billion.
At the same time, the result from revaluation and from sales and purchases was negative and amounted to UAH 1 billion, while for the same period last year it was positive and amounted to UAH 20.4 billion.
At the same time, the expenses of the banking system in January-August 2021 decreased by 6.8% compared to this indicator in 2020 – to UAH 127.09 billion, including deductions to reserves – by 2.8 times, to UAH 20.4 billion. At the same time, commission expenses increased by 1.5 times – up to UAH 21.8 billion.
As reported, Ukrainian banks in 2020 reduced their net profit by 29% – to UAH 41.3 billion, but in the fourth quarter the decline was 63% due to increased allocations to reserves.
