Yuriy Polyachenko, Director of the State Institution “Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine,” was awarded the special Gennadiy Knyshov Award “For loyalty to humanistic ideals and the promotion of universal human values” as part of the 30th anniversary season of the nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
Poliachenko is a Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, Honored Physician of Ukraine, laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, and a full Knight of the Order “For Merit.”
He was born on February 20, 1963, in Kyiv. After graduating from the Kyiv Medical Institute in 1986, he began his professional career at the Kyiv Research Institute of Orthopedics, which now operates as the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. He rose through the ranks from junior to senior research fellow at the Clinic of Bone and Purulent Surgery.
In 1995, Yuriy Polyachenko traveled to Cuba, where for three years he headed the International Medical and Health Center and organized treatment for critically ill children, particularly those with cancer and systemic diseases. In 1997, he was awarded the title of “Honored Physician of Ukraine.”
Starting in 1999, Polyachenko devoted a significant portion of his professional career to public administration in the field of healthcare. He served as Deputy Minister and First Deputy Minister of Health, State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, and advisor to the President of Ukraine.
From 2005 to 2007, Yuriy Polyachenko headed the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
After leaving government service, he returned to clinical and scientific medicine. In 2007, he became director of the O.O. Shalimov National Institute of Surgery and Transplantology, a position he held until 2013.
In 2013, Polyachenko was awarded the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology for a series of scientific works. From 2013 to 2014, he served as a People’s Deputy of Ukraine and worked on the Parliamentary Committee on Health Care, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Transplantology.
Since 2020, Polyachenko has headed the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. After the start of full-scale Russian aggression, the institute became one of the medical centers providing care to military personnel and civilians with severe injuries.
In 2025, Yuriy Polyachenko was awarded the Order of Merit, First Class, for organizing assistance to wounded and injured civilians and military personnel. He had previously received the Second and Third Classes of this state award.
For over 25 years, Yuriy Polyachenko has combined scientific research with clinical, administrative, and teaching work. He defended his doctoral dissertation in 2002 and was awarded the title of professor in 2004. Since 2025, he has headed the Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics at the O.O. Bogomolets National Medical University.
He is the author of over 100 scientific publications and co-author of nine monographs.
The special Gennadiy Knyshov Award, presented as part of the “Person of the Year” program, is given for contributions to the development of humanistic values, medicine, and socially significant initiatives.
Open4Business is the media partner for the 30th anniversary season of the nationwide “Person of the Year 2025” program.
HEALTHCARE, MEDICINE, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, PERSON OF THE YEAR, Yuriy Polyachenko
The state-owned enterprise “Medical Procurements of Ukraine” (MPU) purchased medical supplies worth nearly 8.2 billion hryvnias over the first eight months of 2026, which accounts for 83% of the medical supplies designated for procurement this year.
As reported by MZU in a press release, as of early September, the largest portion of funds was allocated to the procurement of drugs and medical devices for the treatment and care of patients, specifically: medications for children and adults with cancer—184 items totaling 2 billion hryvnias; innovative medicines procured through managed access agreements (MAA)—32 items totaling 1.9 billion hryvnias, medications and medical devices for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases—105 items totaling 1.1 billion UAH; medical devices to support blood donation—122 items totaling 817.9 million UAH; and medications for children and adults with hemophilia—29 items totaling 541.7 million UAH.
In total, in 2026, the Ministry of Health is set to procure 813 items, including those purchased with funds from donors via the UNITED24 fundraising platform. Over the past 8 months, the Ministry of Health has delivered 760 items of medicines and medical devices to the regions, purchased with funds from this year’s and last year’s budgets.
In addition, the Ministry of Health reports that from January through August, hospitals purchased nearly 21.1 billion UAH worth of medical supplies through the Prozorro Market electronic catalog—the medical section of which has been administered by the Ministry since 2019—which is 30.2% more than during the same period in 2025.
The average savings over the first eight months of 2026 for purchases made through Prozorro Market amounted to 12.77% of the expected procurement cost, and in total, buyers saved 3.1 billion UAH.
During January–August 2026, 2,633 contracting entities purchased medical supplies through Prozorro Market, and 1,530 qualified suppliers submitted their offers in the catalog.
HOSPITAL, MEDICINE, Ministry of Health, PROCUREMENT, Prozorro Market
GLP-1 agonists, which are widely used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, may be associated with a slight increased risk of hereditary hair loss in men, according to the Experts Club information and analysis center, citing the results of a new study by researchers at NYU Langone Health, published online on September 3, 2026, in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. (NYU Langone Health).
The researchers studied androgenetic alopecia, the most common type of male baldness, in which hair loss predominantly affects the frontal and upper parts of the scalp. The analysis showed that in men with a genetic predisposition, increased activity of the GLP-1 receptor signaling pathway was associated with an approximately 7% additional risk of this type of hair loss. (NYU Langone Health)
The same class includes drugs based on semaglutide and tirzepatide, known, in particular, under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound. However, the authors emphasize that the study did not involve observing patients who were actually taking these medications. The scientists used Mendelian randomization, a method in which genetic variants serve as a kind of natural proxy for an effect on a particular biological mechanism.
The study identified 22 genetic variants that increase the expression of the GLP1R gene and, accordingly, the activity of the GLP-1 receptor. These data were compared with genetic information on male baldness. Large databases were used for the analysis, including eQTLGen, with data from 31,684 people, and Complex Traits Genetics, with data from 205,327 people.
The association persisted after accounting for a number of other factors that can influence hair loss, including blood pressure, insulin resistance and testosterone levels. The authors consider the findings evidence of a possible causal role of the GLP1R pathway itself, but warn that they cannot automatically be equated with the effect of a specific medication.
“Our study shows for the first time a genetic link between GLP-1 activity and an increased risk of male baldness in androgenetic alopecia,” noted the study’s senior author, Lynn Petukhova of NYU Grossman School of Medicine. According to her, genetic assessment could potentially help identify patients most predisposed to this side effect in the future.
The mechanism of the possible effect remains unclear. The researchers suggest both a direct effect on hair follicles and an indirect effect through metabolic changes. In addition, hair loss in some patients has previously been linked to rapid weight loss, inadequate nutrient intake and temporary telogen effluvium.
The new study is consistent with the findings of a number of previous studies. A meta-analysis of nine interventional studies involving 4,114 users of GLP-1 drugs, published in May 2026, found a statistically significant increase in the risk of hair loss compared with placebo. The overall incidence of hair loss among patients receiving these drugs was approximately 3.9%. At the same time, the authors of the meta-analysis noted the need for further research because of the relatively small number of available clinical studies.
Another systematic review from 2026 also concluded that reports of hair loss during GLP-1 therapy require closer investigation, since possible causes may include both the effects of the drugs and rapid weight loss, dietary changes and deficiencies in certain micronutrients.
The authors of the new study emphasize that the identified effect is modest and that its clinical significance has not yet been definitively established. The findings are not grounds for independently discontinuing prescribed GLP-1 therapy. Patients experiencing noticeable hair loss should discuss the situation with their treating physician.
The introduction of uniform hospitalization criteria in Ukraine does not mean an automatic reduction in the hospital network; however, complex medical procedures will increasingly be concentrated in facilities capable of ensuring the necessary level of safety, said Yevhen Honchar, Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Health, in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, in most communities where hospitals currently operate, medical care facilities should remain. The key issue is the range of services that a specific facility is capable of providing safely.
A small hospital does not necessarily need to perform surgical procedures or deliver babies if it lacks a sufficient number of specialists and the necessary infrastructure.
In particular, safe round-the-clock monitoring of surgical patients requires several anesthesiologists, whereas small facilities sometimes have only one surgeon and one anesthesiologist on staff.
At the same time, basic services—family medicine, consultations with a cardiologist, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and other specialists—must remain as geographically accessible as possible.
Thus, the development of the hospital network will proceed simultaneously in two directions: the concentration of specialized care and the preservation of a broad network of basic medical services.
HOSPITAL, HOSPITALIZATION, MEDICINE, Ministry of Health, REFORM
ARS Capital, the holding company of businessman Maxim Krippa, has acquired 100% of Age Management System, which works on projects in the health tech and biotech sectors, the company’s press office told the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
“This is a long-term investment in the technology and medical ecosystem that will help people maintain their quality of life, mental health, energy, and productivity for longer. We want modern preventive medicine technologies to gradually become accessible to every Ukrainian,” commented Maxim Krippa, CEO of ARS Capital.
Age Management System, founded by Yevhen Shagov, a physician and candidate of medical sciences, specializes in preventive medicine, personalized health management, and age management, and is developing as an ecosystem that integrates clinical, educational, and technological areas. Its flagship product, AM System, provides long-term medical support: comprehensive diagnostics, consultations with specialized experts, management of metabolic and hormonal indicators, personalized health support programs, IV therapy, and biotechnological and hardware solutions.
The investment in Age Management System is a continuation of ARS Capital’s strategy to expand its portfolio in the fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology. Full control over the business allows the holding company to formulate a long-term development strategy for the company and scale its ecosystem.
ARS Capital identifies fostering a culture of preventive medicine as one of its promising areas of focus—a culture in which health care begins long before the onset of disease and becomes part of one’s lifestyle. Mental health support and assistance for individuals who have survived the traumatic experience of war will also be an important component of Age Management
System. In particular, the company is considering the development of programs aimed at providing professional assistance and rehabilitation for people with PTSD.
The holding company also plans to strengthen the Age Management System’s technological infrastructure and implement modern hardware solutions.
AM System was founded as one of Ukraine’s first specialized clinics in the field of age management. When creating the project, the team drew on international experience in preventive medicine, particularly practices in Japan, Europe, and the United States.
According to YouControl data, the authorized capital of JSC “ZNVKIF ‘Age Management Ecosystems’” amounts to 107.5 million UAH; On March 12, Krippa bought out Marina Shagova’s stake after she exited the fund; Maxim Krippa and Yevgen Shagov previously held equal 50% stakes in the fund. Now, the ARS Capital holding company has consolidated 100% of the business, and Yevgen Shagov serves as the company’s CEO.
The ADONIS Medical Network (Kyiv) is launching a new format for professional collaboration—a free expert consultation for doctors dealing with complex or ambiguous clinical cases.
According to its press release, the consultation provides an opportunity to obtain a second opinion from the ADONIS team of specialists and jointly determine the next steps in the patient’s diagnosis and treatment.
“In medical practice, there are cases where test results or the opinion of a single specialist are insufficient to make a final decision. The patient may require additional tests, consultations with doctors from different specialties, or a review of the treatment plan already proposed. The consultation does not replace the attending physician but helps them obtain additional expert support,” ADONIS notes.
