Current issue #16, 2016

RFID chips all around

Ministry of Finance to label drugs for tracking

Reportedly, First Vice-Premier Igor Shuvalov entrusted the Ministry of Finance with drafting a federal law regarding the implementation of compulsory labeling of goods selling on the Russian market. Supposedly, this document will provide for a stage-by-stage extension of the list of products subject to labeling. Drugs are among the product categories to be labeled first. It is not for the first time that the Ministry of Finance handles labeling. Some time ago, the ministry authored a regulation on implementing special RFID chips for fur goods. Now pharmaceutical manufacturers fear that they will have to embed these chips into all drug packages.

[PharmVestnik # 16, 04/05/2016, p. 1, cont’d p. 4]

State bidding system to be furnished with a three-stage structure of preferences

Creating additional preferences depending on the pharmaceutical manufacture localization “depth” is the Ministry of Industry and Trade next step after launching the “odd-man-out” mechanism. Presently, it goes about a three-stage structure to be implemented in the state bidding. The professional community has already started discussing this initiative authored by Natsimbio (National Immunobiological Company, JSC). Businesses approve of the initiative in itself, but it is unclear so far how to implement it while avoiding conflicts with other manufacturer support tools.

[PharmVestnik # 16, 04/05/2016, p. 2]

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council to assume new powers

In late April, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry was the venue of just another discussion by state authorities and businesses on parallel imports and mandatory licensing. Apart from a routine debate typical for such meetings, a sensational statement was made. Executive Director of Pharmaceutical Innovations Associations Vadim Kukava informed the audience that the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council signed an order on preparing amendments to the Eurasian Economic Union Agreement that would empower the council to determine exemptions from the application of the principle of exhaustion of exclusive trademark rights.

[PharmVestnik # 16, 04/05/2016, p. 3]

Local medical device manufacturers urge to accelerate EEU common market launch

In the judgement of local medical device and equipment manufacturers, many items of the EEU Common Market Agreement are so attractive that the manufacturers cannot wait until they are given a thumbs-up. When speaking at an indu...