Current issue #18, 2015

Breaking the pattern

How much “free” drugs cost

For more than a year, the Patient Advocacy League has been furthering the idea that drugs that cannot exist beyond the medical care system, which is pretty much a given, must be provided free of charge. With reference to a variety of international and Russian laws, the League’s leader Alexander Saversky tries to prove that patients shall not be split into drug coverage beneficiaries and all the rest. Each of them shall have the right to receive free drugs, provided that these drugs were prescribed by the doctor in charge. Following the logic, one will have to admit that various drug lists that take a lot of time and nerve to be developed are not needed in principle. Strange as it may seem, this idea that turns the existing drug coverage system upside down was supported by the Ministry of Health. The ministry also wants each Russian patient to be getting drugs for free; however, it cannot afford it.

[PharmVestnik # 18, 02/06/2015, p. 1, cont’d pp. 4-5]

Pharmaceutical honor code

A draft document was submitted to the industry community for discussion

The pharma market players have two weeks in which to make amendments and comments to the Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Code of Conduct. The draft document was presented at the Pharmaceutical Expert Council meeting on May 25. The code that is the first chance for the market players to regulate their relationships by themselves has generated a lot of questions and made industry associations and pharma companies that have not been involved in its development so far willing to participate in its improvement.

[PharmVestnik # 18, 02/06/2015, p. 2]

A TWIGA media agency to improve healthcare image

The Ministry of Health managed to save 670 thousand RUB when it made the contract for forming a positive image of the Russian healthcare. Media First International, a TWIGA company, won the bidding. Thus, creating a positive image of the industry that has recently attracted most criticism was evaluated at 54.97 mn RUB.

[PharmVestnik # 18, 02/06/2015, p. 1, cont’d p. 3]

Block, control, and own

Rostech doesn’t mind increasing its share of Fort LLC

According to a PharmVestnik’s source, the state corporation Rostech plans to improve the asset structure of Natsimbio pharma holding company it owns. Natsimbio has already started operating Microgen as well as RT-Biotechprom. Besides, the holding company has blocking ownership of Kurgan Sintez and Fort. Now it makes sense increasing shares o...