On October 20, on the basis of the Single Distributor, a meeting was held with representatives of the South Korean company GL Rapha and the domestic company ТОО «Dolce Pharm»to discuss issues of cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals.
In a meeting with GL Rapha Co.Ltd. Project Director Young-Ha (Kevin) Jung and PR Manager Kim Ki Young took part in the event. The Kazakh side was attended by Dinara Isabekova, project manager of KAZAKH INVEST NC JSC, Elena Li, founder of Dolce Pharm LLP, and Ermek Bisenbaev, head of the strategic development service.
The South Korean side expressed interest in discussing the issues of localization of production in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan by concluding long-term contracts and shared information on the product line.
The company also proposed the construction of a biofactory and technology transfer in order to compensate for the high cost of importing medicines. It should be noted that the opening of a new plant would give a new impetus to the development of cooperation and would demonstrate the readiness of manufacturers of the two countries for the deep localization of innovative drugs.
In addition, within the framework of cooperation, the possibility of launching programs to train Kazakhstani specialists in modern technologies is being considered.
GL Rapha Co.Ltd. develops various kinds of pharmaceutical technologies, especially focusing on biopharmaceuticals such as recombinant proteins, synthetic peptides and DDS bio similar. The company has successfully commercialized biosimilar products such as PEG IFN alpha, EPO, hGH, etc. using recombinant gene technology, and prepared PEG-EPO, PEG-GCSF, mAbs and peptide drugs using DDS technology.
In turn, the Single Distributor informed the participants of the meeting about the centralized procurement system in Kazakhstan and the role of the Single Distributor in the drug supply system. Investment opportunities in the field of pharmaceuticals and cooperation initiatives with manufacturers of original drugs, raw materials for the production of medicines and medical devices were also announced.
During the discussion, the possibilities for using the mechanisms of long-term contracts, direct contracts, planning and the possibility of a special permit for the supply to Kazakhstan of medicines produced in Korea under contract manufacturing for the period of construction of a plant in Kazakhstan were announced.
The development of the production of expensive innovative products, the promotion of the industry in the direction of technology transfer, the localization of original medicines and the production of substances is of key importance for the Kazakhstani pharmaceutical industry today.
To attract foreign investors to the pharmaceutical industry of Kazakhstan, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Single Distributor and Kazakh Invest . With the aim of fruitful interaction with the global pharmaceutical industry and finding effective ways to localize the production of innovative pharmaceutical products from recognized brands in Kazakhstan, the Single Distributor, with the support of Kazakh Invest, held a series of round tables and webinars.
In June of this year, at the initiative of the Single Distributor, a Kazakh delegation visited South Korea, during which a round table was held and 5 memorandums were signed on the localization of medical products in Kazakhstan. The Single Distributor works closely with Korean companies and has already held a number of negotiations. The working visit is a practical continuation of all previous agreements.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed on the need to study the issues of transferring Korean production technologies to the sites of Kazakh pharmaceutical manufacturers, their deep localization in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as cooperation in the development of new drugs and the development of R&D centers. The parties expressed confidence that this dialogue will definitely continue and bring mutually beneficial results.