Today, at the Unified Distributor site, a meeting was held with representatives of the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, represented by the director in Kazakhstan, Maria Shipuleva, and the manager for relations with government agencies, Zhalgas Daniyarov.
On the agenda, the parties considered key aspects of a long-term strategic bilateral partnership. Particular attention was paid to the development of a project for contract production of original medicines in Kazakhstan.
The drugs scheduled for contract manufacturing at local sites are patented and innovative. Production at local sites will be the next step towards increasing the share of domestically produced medicines on the market to 50%.
The initiative to develop the project received full support from the Kazakh government. In 2020, a Comprehensive Plan for the Development of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry for 2020-2025 was approved, which includes attracting transnational companies to localize production in Kazakhstan.
In 2021, a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the representative office of AstraZeneca in Kazakhstan was signed in Astana. In 2022, a memorandum was concluded in London between the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan and AstraZeneca. In October 2023, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan approved a plan of organizational measures for the implementation of a project for the contract production of original patented AstraZeneca drugs.
And in April 2024, an action plan for localization was signed by the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Currently, readiness to conclude a long-term agreement in the very near future is being worked out.
“We are committed to long-term cooperation with a global industry player and the development of the country’s pharmaceutical infrastructure. The contract manufacturing project at local sites in Kazakhstan will be an important stage in the development of the pharmaceutical market,” noted the head of the Unified Distributor, Erkhat Iskaliev.
At the same time, AstraZeneca plans to launch the first clinical trial based on several medical institutions in the country. We are talking about a phase III study in the field of cardiology in Kazakhstan. The first patients will enter the study at the end of 2024. This step will affect the further development of research activities, the pharmaceutical industry and the country's human resources potential.
It is worth noting that AstraZeneca is one of the ten largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. In 2022, the company's total annual revenue exceeded $40 billion for the first time in the company's history, reaching nearly $45 billion.
According to the IDEA Pharma Index, AstraZeneca retained its first place in the invention index in 2023. The high rating is due not only to its rapidly growing pipeline of nearly 180 projects, but also to its potential to make a significant impact on disease areas and patient populations with unmet needs. Analysts also noted that AZ's investment in artificial intelligence drug development is among the highest in the industry.
The development of the production of innovative medicines, including technology transfer, localization of original medicines and production of substances, is of key importance for the Kazakh pharmaceutical industry.
In order to implement the tasks set by the Head of State, the Unified Distributor is taking the initiative to attract investments and localize innovative pharmaceutical products within the framework of contract manufacturing in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed their readiness for close fruitful cooperation with the prospect of expanding the Kazakh market and strengthening a mutually beneficial partnership. The need to consolidate joint efforts in order to achieve effective indicators of industry development was noted.
For reference:
AstraZeneca is a global science-driven biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of prescription medicines primarily in the therapeutic areas of oncology, cardiology, nephrology and metabolism, respiratory and autoimmune diseases, and rare diseases. The company, based in Cambridge (UK), has a presence in more than 100 countries.
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