Ukrainian pharmaceutical company Microkhim (Rubizhne, Luhansk region) is ready to start production of a generic antiviral drug to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by the end of the year, Microkhim Director General Ihor Pohromsky has said in an interview with the Uriadovy Kurier government’s newspaper. “Now the key point is that we are transporting the substance. In the near future we will expose it to comprehensive analytical control, develop a dosage form and establish and conduct bioequivalence clinical trials. There is a lot of work ahead. There is a lot of professional work that we can do, but it has terms and limitations. However, the situation is such that, despite quarantine, we are ready to work to provide the country with a domestic drug this year, and I am sure that we will be first among national manufacturers, who will develop it,” he said, adding that it comes to the production of generic Avigan.
According to Pohromsky, “the drug was developed in Japan against several influenza viruses in 2014, and in 2015 it passed the third phase of clinical trials in the United States. It happened so that it was tested during an epidemic in Wuhan, and later allowed for experimental use in Italy against COVID-19. By the way, it has already become known that more than 30 countries have asked Japan to provide them with this drug for combating COVID-19. Japan has provided it to Ukraine to continue clinical trials involving patients with COVID-19.”
The general director said that the price of the generic drug made in Ukraine will be much lower than the price of the original. In addition, in the context of global hype, it is difficult to talk about the wholesale supply of original drugs to Ukraine. Therefore, according to Pohromsky, it is necessary to start domestic production.
Nationwide legal association Revealing Information has set up the Business Support Center. The Center will provide businesses with support to fight illegal seizures, which have become a burning issue during the emergency situation and quarantine.
According to the Justice Ministry, the number of illegal seizures through making amendments to state registers has increased by 16 times during the quarantine.
Managing Partner of the Revealing Information Law Firm Oleksandr Keyer said that today both the society and businesses experience an intensive turbulence.
“The number of fraud cases is growing in Ukraine. The Justice Ministry has officially reported an increase in the number of illegal seizure attempts by dozens of times. We also can see such a trend. The situation is getting even worse due to uncertainty about the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease and its influence on business and economy. We are doing the utmost to stay one step ahead and, in particular, for this reason our company has set up the Business Support Center right now,” Keyer said.
The Business Support Center of the Revealing Information Law Firm will provide services to protect businesses by all available legal means, including security and prevention measures, represent them in court, provide them with legal support while concluding agreements during the quarantine, and so on.
Revealing Information is a nationwide legal association of broad-based experts providing services to protect the rights of victims of all types of offenses, fraud and banditry.
The association’s services include legal business support, analytical and information work, security measures to counter raiding, customer support in criminal, commercial and civil disputes, and more.
http://revealinginformation.com.ua/en/
E-mail: revealing@ukr.net
Phone: +38095 868 3590, +38067 868 3690
BUSINESS, CORONAVIRUS, COVID_19, ILLEGAL, KEYER, RAIDING, REVEALING_INFORMATION, SEIZURES
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has held a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and in the context of a possible increase of financial assistance to Ukraine to fight against COVID-19 coronavirus, they agreed to redirect EUR 150 million under a German state loan to relevant needs.
“The parties discussed the situation around the spread of coronavirus in the world, as well as practical measures taken in both countries to counter the pandemic. It was agreed to work out the possibility of establishing information exchange related to the pandemic, in particular regarding medical standards introduced to treat the disease,” the press service of the head of the Ukrainian state reports on Tuesday.
Merkel positively noted the adoption of laws on the turnover of agricultural land and on the regulation of banking. In this context, she also noted the importance of early conclusion of negotiations with the IMF on a new cooperation program.
“They also spoke about the need to allocate additional funding for Ukraine from the European Union and the World Bank,” the message reads.
Ukrainian business continues providing its support in fighting the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic, sending money to crisis response teams or buying artificial lungs ventilators, other equipment and protective equipment for medical workers.
In particular, the RDS group of companies, involved in the construction and operation of roads belonged to Yuriy Shumakher and Yevhen Konovalov, bought the Oricare V8600 artificial lung ventilation machine (the United States) for the city of Odesa, and also provides financial assistance to local authorities for the purchase of protective equipment (masks, disinfectants) in the seven regions where it operates.
Makar Paseniuk and Kostiantyn Stetsenko’s ICU investment group purchased COVID-19 tests and intensive care equipment for Kyiv designated hospitals. In particular, for the Oleksandrivska City Clinical Hospital, which receives the main flow of patients with possible COVID-19 disease, the ICU acquired 200 additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. The investment group provided the city hospital No. 4, one of the three designated hospitals in Kyiv, with almost 5,000 units of intensive care supplies: virus-bacterial filters, breathing circuits, endotracheal tubes, oxygen masks and drainage bags, and the Kyiv perinatal center received three all-in-one intensive care monitors.
The Regional Gas Company (RGC) of Dmytro Firtash purchased medical equipment, components for it, protective equipment, as well as materials and medicines for the amount of UAH 10 million and plans to send another tranche of assistance. In particular, RGC was able to purchase an artificial lung ventilator and monitors for existing ventilators, 2,000 express tests, 30,000 masks and FFP2respirators, 5,000 special glasses, about 5,000 gowns and special overalls and about 3,000 biosecurity kits, as well as disinfection solutions, medicines and fuel for ambulances.
The P&O Maritime Ukraine towing company transferred UAH 6.8 million to the Odesa crisis response team, and TIS-Grain sent UAH 3 million.
Myronivsky Hliboproduct (MHP) allocates UAH 15 million to purchase 19 artificial lung ventilators and personal protective means in Vinnytsia region.
MHP said on its Facebook page that a representative of Vinnytsia Regional State Administration and the agricultural holding developed an operational plan to counter coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
“A commission has been created, the headquarters will begin work in the coming days,” the company said.
According to MHP, a shared strategy for COVID-19 prevention has already been developed. MHP purchases 19 artificial lung ventilators with a patient’s monitor and an oxygen concentrator for all hospitals in Vinnytsia region, where there are departments of infectious disease.
In addition, the purchase of personal protective equipment will be provided for Ladyzhyn city hospital, Tulchyn and Trostianets regional hospitals.
“MHP will also assist in the search and acquisition of all necessary personal protective equipment and medical devices, by involving its own specialists from the logistics department,” the company said.
MHP is the largest producer of poultry in Ukraine. It is also engaged in production of grains, sunflower oil and meat.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) plans to provide Ukraine with a loan of EUR40 million to fight coronavirus, the press service of the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine reports.
“Last week, Ukrainian Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Chernyshov held an online meeting with the European Investment Bank. The parties discussed raising a loan of EUR40 million for a quick response and necessary measures to overcome the coronavirus in Ukraine,” the report says.
This loan will be provided within the framework of the ongoing Ukraine Municipal Infrastructure Program opened in 2014.
“On March 23, the ministry received an action plan from the EIB to provide the agreed loan. Now the parties are agreeing on the details and terms of cooperation,” according to the report.
It is noted that EIB representatives said they supported the strategy of the Ukrainian government and confirmed that for the whole world, and for Ukraine, it is also currently extremely important to use enough modern medical equipment to combat COVID-19.
