Current issue #22, 2016

Urgent shake-up

SoyuzPharma goes SRO and makes unprecedented decision

Moscow was the venue of an annual meeting of the Pharmacy Association SoyuzPharma. The key event was a decision on a self-regulatory organization (SRO) status. Also discussed were the development strategy and current tasks. The leaders and Steering Committee were elected as well. The membership shake-up resulted in the elimination of Krasnodar pharmacy chain Aprelpharm from the association.

[PharmVestnik # 22, 05/07/2016, p. 1, cont’d p. 3]

An “orphan” case

Genetika Association dispels a myth on orphan drugs accessibility

Criticism aimed at the regulators on part of the Association of Rare Disease Patient Advocacy Organizations “Genetika” (Genetics) is gaining ground. The advocates of the rights of orphan disease patients insist that the persons under their care differ from those covered by drugs under the Seven Disease Program. They also demand regular co-funding from the federal budget. Finally, they warn that the situation in the regions will become much worse in case of shifting their patients to generics. The Ministry of Health officials were in the heat of the moment as well in the course of the 3rd Information Workshop “Rare Diseases: a Dialog with the Society” held in late June in Moscow.

[PharmVestnik # 22, 05/07/2016, p. 2]

Minpromtorg to support low-cost drug manufacturers

Reportedly, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Minpromtorg) has prepared and submitted for a review to the Russian Government a draft resolution that will establish simplified pricing for local low-cost drug manufacturers. The idea is that the manufacturers will be relatively free to raise drug prices within a 50 RUB range. Experts are sure that this does not mean that all drugs under 49 RUB will disappear from the market.

[PharmVestnik # 22, 05/07/2016, p. 4]

A large network of nuclear medicine under development in Russia

The government is working on a nuclear medicine development concept. A road map has already been approved. At the same time, in parallel with this paperwork, Rosnano and PET Technology (a private company) have been promoting positron emission tomography (PET) as a new type of disease diagnostics for already five years. There is a government share in this project, but this is t...