Since the beginning of 2024, the demand for neurological drugs, including antidepressants, as well as drugs used to treat dementia, epilepsy and antipsychotics, has been growing, Yevhen Zaika, regional director of the Acino pharma company, shares his observations.
“We see a significant increase in demand for neurological drugs: antidepressants, drugs for the treatment of dementia, epilepsy and antipsychotics,” he told Interfax-Ukraine.
Zaika noted an increase in demand for cardiac and endocrinology drugs, as well as an increase in the share of nutritional supplements in the sales structure.
Commenting on the current situation in the pharma market, the expert noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, logistics has risen in price by 20-30%. To counteract blackouts, the Pharma Start plant in Kiev, which produces products for Acino, was equipped with two diesel generators, the office and production are provided with Starlink Internet.
Zaika said that Acino currently has 17 new products in development.
At the same time, he emphasized that Ukrainian requirements for the quality and manufacture of drugs are “very severe.”
“For example, the Ukrainian market applies the requirement for separate registration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which significantly increases the development time of new products, and also increases the cost of both developing and maintaining the active registration status of the product. In Europe, where we all aspire to, there is simply no such thing as AFI registration,” he said.
Commenting on the strategy of the company’s participation in budget procurement, Zaika noted that the volume of tender shipments grows annually in hryvnia equivalent, but the share of budget shipments remains approximately at the same level.
As reported, pharmacy sales in Ukraine in January-February 2024 increased in monetary terms by 21.6% compared to the same period of 2023 – up to UAH 32.331 billion, in physical terms – by 2.9% to 201.828 million packages. Pharmacy sales of medicinal products for two months of 2024 amounted to UAH 25.265 billion, which is 20.65% more than in the same period of 2023. At the same time, sales of drugs in physical terms increased by 2.6% to 142.869 million packs.
Swiss pharmaceutical company Acino became a partner of the project “Mobile hospitals for Victory” implemented by Charitable Foundation for Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine.
According to the press release from the Foundation, within the framework of this project Acino shipped to the pilot mobile medical complex 1600 packages of drugs from its own product portfolio for the total amount of UAH 150 thousand.
The “Mobile Hospitals for Victory” project provides for purchasing 52 mobile hospitals. The cost of one such medical complex on wheels is EUR 240 thousand.
Currently 14 organizations in Ukraine and abroad have joined the project.
Mobile hospital is a complete hospital on wheels equipped with modern medical equipment. It consists of an admission room, a laboratory, an X-ray room, an operation room and also technical rooms, toilets and showers. The hospital is equipped with its own generator. Two medical teams can work there at the same time, with the ability to save up to 100 lives a day, based on the “golden hour” principle.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Acino pharmaceutical company has donated more than 67 million UAH for humanitarian purposes, including over 200 thousand packages of medicines to hospitals and hospitals in the country.
The Swiss pharmaceutical company Acino has become a partner in a project to provide the frontline area and destroyed hospitals in the regions with state-of-the-art mobile hospitals to provide emergency care to the wounded.
Acino shipped 1600 packages of medicines from its own product portfolio to the pilot medical complex on wheels for a total of UAH 150 thousand. In particular, these are drugs used in neurology, psychiatry, cardiology and therapy.
The project was initiated by the Charitable Foundation for Reconstruction and Development of Ukraine, which plans to purchase 52 mobile hospitals. The cost of one such medical complex on wheels is 240 thousand euros. In total, 14 organizations both in Ukraine and abroad have joined the project.
The company plans to provide medicines to the next mobile hospitals within the framework of this project. This was stated by Yevhen Zaika, CEO of Acino in Ukraine, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Pharma Start, during the presentation of the project at the end of 2022 at the Parkovy Exhibition and Convention Center, Kyiv.
A mobile hospital is a specialized development that is a full-fledged hospital on wheels, equipped with the most modern medical equipment:
The mobile hospital has increased cross-country ability and its own generator, which allows it to operate completely autonomously. Two teams of medics can work in the mobile hospital at the same time and can save up to 100 lives a day, based on the “golden hour” principle. If necessary and subject to sufficient medical staffing, the hospital can provide care to more patients.
Acino has been supporting the people and the state since the first days of the full-scale war. Since February 24, the company has donated over UAH 67 million for humanitarian purposes. This includes more than 200 thousand packs of medicines to hospitals and hospitals and more than UAH 8 million to support the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and charitable organizations. At the beginning of 2023, Acino was recognized by the President of Ukraine for supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people at a crucial moment.
ACINO, ARTEM HONCHARENKO, CHARITABLE FOUNDATION FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINE, YEVHEN ZAIKA
