Biopharmaceutical company Biopharma (Kyiv) has collected COVID-19 plasma for the production of the first batch of hyperimmune immunoglobulin, President of the company Kostiantyn Yefymenko has said.
Biopharma has collected 2,200 liters of COVID-19 plasma. For the first loading of the fractionator, 1,800 liters are needed, we have an even larger volume,” he told reporters during a visit to the company’s plasma center in Kyiv on Tuesday, November 24.
Yefymenko said that the company plans to carry out the first load of the fractionator next week to produce the first batch of hyperimmune immunoglobulin from the plasma of people who have had COVID-19.
According to Yefymenko, it takes eight or nine days to produce the drug.
The company started collecting COVID-19 plasma in May, but the collection process was slow at that time as the number of people who had COVID-19 was small.
“Now the speed of plasma collection has increased,” Yefymenko said.
He reported that the cost of one bottle of the drug can reach UAH 10,000, three or four bottles could be needed for treatment.
The production of one bottle requires about 2.5 liters of plasma. During one donation, a donor can donate up to 800 milliliters of plasma.
Biopharma is a Ukrainian biotechnology company, the only plant in Eastern Europe that has modern technologies, has been producing and developing drugs from donor plasma for almost 50 years.
The company is focused on providing medicines to Ukraine and on a contract basis, supplies its products to more than 30 countries around the world. In the fall of 2019, Biopharma moved its production to a new research and production complex in Bila Tserkva.
The company is developing a network of its own plasma centers. Now they work in Sumy, Shostka, Konotop, Cherkasy, Dnipro and Kharkiv.
Ukraine expects to receive more than 8 million doses of the future vaccine against the coronavirus disease COVID-19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his vlog.
“The Ministry of Health has held a conversation with representatives of COVAX. This is an initiative for the global access of countries to the vaccine against coronavirus. A phased plan for the supply of the future vaccine in Ukraine has been determined. The first stage is 1.2 million doses. In general, Ukraine expects to receive more than 8 million doses of the future vaccine,” the head of state noted.
According to him, priority in vaccinations will be given to medical workers, military personnel, teachers, people at risk, in particular people over 60 years old.
“We are also increasing the number of daily tests, including free tests through mobile teams. We are working to ensure a sufficient number of beds and oxygen in each region, as well as strengthening control over compliance with quarantine measures,” Zelensky said.
In Ukraine, law enforcement officers and authorized persons from now on, November 21, have the right to fine citizens for not wearing a mask in public places.
Law No. 1000-IX with amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine regarding the prevention of the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on November 6. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed it on November 19, and on November 20 it was published in the parliamentary newspaper Golos Ukrainy.
According to the law, people will be fined for being in public buildings, structures, public transport during the quarantine without wearing personal protective equipment, including respirators or protective masks that cover the nose and mouth, including those made by themselves. At the same time, the law stipulates that a respirator or protective mask must cover the nose and mouth.
The size of the fine will be from 10 to 15 non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens (UAH 170-255). Fines can be imposed by authorized representatives of local authorities, police officers, as well as employees of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service.
Kozelshchinska Central District Hospital (Poltava Region) received an oxygen concentrator from Ferrexpo Belanovo Mining (FBM). This equipment will be used in the intensive care unit of the hospital.
“As previously reported according to the Ferrexpo’s assistance program, we constantly monitor the situation with the spread of coronavirus in Ukraine, study the needs of doctors and cover them in line with priority. Unfortunately due to the beginning of cold season the situation with patients in our country has worsened and now it is especially important to continue support of doctors who work extra hard to save lives, ”said Yuri Khimich, General Director of Ferrexpo Belanovo Mining.
According to head of Kozelshchinska hospital intensive care unit Nadiia Ovdienko, now the situation is extremely difficult and the medical institution turns to philanthropists for vital equipment and medicines. “We are very grateful to FBM for this concentrator and for the systematic assistance the company provides to our hospital,” – she added.
This oxygen concentrator compares favorably with analogs with low noise level, light weight and energy saving. The device has a dual flow and is designed to supply oxygen to two patients simultaneously.
Notes to Editors:
Ferrexpo is a Swiss headquartered iron ore company with assets in Ukraine. It has been mining, processing and selling high quality iron ore pellets to the global steel industry for over 40 years. In 2019, the Group produced 10.5 million tonnes of pellets ranking it as the 3rd largest exporter of pellets to the global steel industry with a market share of approximately 8%. Ferrexpo has a diversified customer base supplying steel mills in Austria, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Vietnam and America. Ferrexpo has a premium listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker FXPO. For further information, please visit www.ferrexpo.com
CORONAVIRUS, COVID19, FBM, FERREXPO, HELP, KHIMICH, KREMENCHUK
Three stages of clinical trials of the Ukrainian candidate for vaccines against coronavirus (COVID-19) will take about a year, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said.
“We still have a very long way to go for this vaccine candidate to become a vaccine. For this, we need to go through three phases of clinical trials. Now an appropriate production facility is being selected in Ukraine where this can be done. If our expectations come true, and the chosen manufacturer and the chosen path we go through normally, then in […] about a year, we can get original Ukrainian vaccine against COVID-19,” Stepanov said at an online briefing on Monday.
As reported, earlier the developers presented results of the preclinical study phase of original Ukrainian vaccine candidate to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
These studies lasted six months and include the presence of coronavirus neutralization in a sample of infected human cells. It was reported that this candidate for original Ukrainian vaccine is being created on the basis of a unique approach.
At the same time, Zelensky said that he cannot speak today about the timing of appearance of such a vaccine. If someone has a vaccine for COVID-19 earlier, Ukraine will buy it.
The 22nd Ukraine-EU summit will be the first bilateral EU summit with a third country held physically in Brussels since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The European Council said on Friday that the EU side will be represented by Presidents of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Ukraine will be represented by President Volodymyr Zelensky. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will also participate.
During the meeting, the leaders will review bilateral relations, including the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the EU support to Ukraine; the next steps in the implementation of the Association Agreement, including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area; the state of reforms in Ukraine.
Leaders will also discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine, recent developments in Belarus and further regional and foreign policy issues.
It is expected that at 15:30 Brussels (16:30 Kyiv time) on Tuesday, EU leaders will meet the Ukrainian president, and at 17:50 Brussels time (18:50 Kyiv time) a press conference is scheduled to be held in the virtual mode.
