Minister of Health of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov has held talks with Executive Director for International and Government Affairs of AstraZeneca Alec van Gelder on the timing and logistics of deliveries of the COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine.
“For several months, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has been establishing active and effective communication with the head office of AstraZeneca. Today we have already discussed the logistics and delivery terms of vaccines against COVID-19 from AstraZeneca in Ukraine. Our state is completely ready to receive vaccines. A plan for vaccination of the population has been fully developed,” Stepanov said, the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported on Facebook.
Alec van Gelder, in turn, noted readiness for active cooperation with Ukraine.
“We thank the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for consistency and openness. Now we will process options for the supply of vaccines in Ukraine in the near future,” he summed up.
It is noted that on December 30, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use in the UK, vaccination will begin on Monday.
As reported, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine signed a contract for the supply of vaccines against COVID-19 produced by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech to Ukraine.
Ukraine is holding negotiations with China on the delivery of a coronavirus vaccine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
“[China says] that they stand ready to supply it. The Health Ministry has concrete information, and we are helping them now in order to facilitate certain contacts between representatives of the Health Ministry and representatives of the [vaccine] producer,” Kuleba told the Ukraine 24 TV channel on Thursday.
The Verkhovna Rada’s National Health Committee has recommended that parliament support a bill that makes it possible to shorten the approval period for clinical trials and registration of vaccines and drugs against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“The profile committee recommended the Verkhovna Rada to support bill No. 4314. It makes it possible to shorten the approval period for clinical trials and registration of vaccines and drugs against COVID-19,” the Servant of the People party said on Facebook on Wednesday, December 2.
According to the head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance Mykhailo Radutsky, the adoption of bill No. 4314 will reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
“Vaccination of a large number of patients will reduce the burden on the health care system of Ukraine,” Radutsky said.
“And thanks to the bill, this will become possible. After all, the involvement of Ukraine in clinical trials of vaccines would allow to vaccinate part of the population already now. Likewise, reducing the time for state registration of vaccines will speed up their full-scale use,” the Servant of the People said.
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.
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 pharmaceutical company JSC Farmak (Kyiv) has received a request from the Ministry of Health and scientists regarding the possibility of its involvement in clinical trials of a Ukrainian vaccine against COVID-19, the company has told Interfax-Ukraine.
“Farmak has recently received a request from the Ministry of Health and scientists about the possibility of involving the company in clinical trials of the Ukrainian vaccine against COVID-19. Also, the state received a request for the possibility of industrial production of the vaccine (if its safety and effectiveness are proved),” the company said.
Currently, Farmak is studying the request: the company’s experts are analyzing the available materials related to the development and are consulting with scientists and representatives of the Ministry of Health.
As reported, the state intends to fund clinical trials of the vaccine.
Farmak manufactures medicines in all fourteen therapeutic groups. Among the main directions are anti-cold, endocrinological, gastroenterological, cardiological, neurological portfolios. The company annually introduces to the market about 20 new complex-component modern drugs, and about 100 drugs are currently in development.
Over the past five years, Farmak’s investments in the scientific and technical complex, production equipment, and research activities amounted to UAH 3.4 billion.
In 2019, Farmak received a net profit of UAH 1.056 billion, which is almost the same as in 2018 at UAH 1.05 billion, while in 2018 Farmak increased its net profit by 25.16%.
JSC Farmak is a member of the Manufacturers of Medications of Ukraine Association.
According to the unified state register of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, the ultimate beneficial owner of Farmak is the head of the supervisory board, Filya Zhebrovska, who owns 80% of the company’s shares.
