Pharmaceuticals - The Times Of Central Asia

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British Companies Enter Commercial Agreements with Kazakhstan

Two new Kazakh-British business agreements were signed off during UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron’s visit to Kazakhstan on 24 April. The first, between AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare, Almaty City Administration and Kazakh Invest, aims to implement an investment project for contract manufacturing of biotechnological products in Kazakhstan. According to Kazakh Invest, the agreement represents a significant step towards Kazakhstan’s goal to increase its share of domestically- produced medicines in the local market to 50%. The second deal, signed by the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan and British company Car Park Transformer, makes provision for the construction of roadside service facilities on Kazakhstan’s national and international highways. Comprising 250 service stations equipped with restrooms, retail spaces, as well as electric vehicle charging points, the project aims to provide essential services and enhance the comfort of motorists.

Social Pharmaceuticals Healthcare Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan Continues to Combat Drug Shortages

Health Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Alymkadyr Beishenaliyev has told local media that hospitals are 70-80% stocked with medicines, with hospitals in the Issyk-Kul region suffering the worst from short supplies. "There is a list of vital medicines, which we provide 100%. But doctors prescribe drugs which I, a medic, have never heard of; these are scarce drugs. Doctors used to get bonuses from private pharmacies [for prescribing them] - we are fighting this and it is impossible to change it in a short time," Beishenaliyev said. Kyrgyzstan's medical trade union reported that the country's hospitals lacked basic medicines and basic drugs. As of today, 290 medical organizations have applied for the necessary drugs, but are yet to receive them. Earlier this week, the Times of Central Asia reported about the difficult situation concerning the availability of drugs. Minister Beishenaliyev emphasized that the government is working to ensure hospitals have all the necessary drugs for the second quarter of 2024, promising that the problem would be resolved by 15 April. However, the head of Kyrgyzstan's medical trade union, Bermet Baryktabasova, criticized the statement made by the minister, saying that antibiotics, hormones, diuretics, anti-epileptic, psychotropic, cardiac and anti-asthma drugs are needed every day. It's medically advisable to have a three-month supply on hand, she said, adding that intensive care units need these drugs every minute, not next quarter. This year, to ensure timely and quality medical care, the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund (CMIF) allocated 443.7 million sum ($5 million) for the purchase of medicines and medical devices.

Uzbekistan Pharmaceuticals Healthcare Central Asia

Cancer Patients in Uzbekistan Dying for Want of Palliative Care

Despite being approved back in 2017, the construction of a hospice for adults in Tashkent remains but a dream. Deprived of palliative care for the past five years, Uzbek citizens afflicted by oncological, haematological, neurological and immunological diseases have been left to suffer and die. Tasked with building the facility, the Comfort Engineering Group has defended the long delay by citing a lack of funds. Although allocated $1.4 million for the build, the company received only $113.5 thousand and as a consequence, was forced to down tools. The city administration had promised to finish the "long construction" back in November 2023 and in April this year, the hospice was expected to receive its first patients. Frustrated by the Uzbek capital's authorities, Yakhyo Ziyayev, oncologist and long-term campaigner for the development of palliative and hospice care in Uzbekistan, stated on social media, "I can honestly tell you, I'm losing faith in the possibility of changing anything for the better in this country. Here comes April. Where is the fulfilment of the promise? A week ago, Rustam (oncologist Rustam Norboev) and I visited the site. Nothing has started. We were told that it would start on Monday, next week. It's OK if they finish late, it's still a victory for us, so I didn't take it negatively." Local specialists have also voiced their disappointment, "Stephen Connor, head of the World Association for Hospice and Palliative Care, is due to visit Uzbekistan in May. But his visit will be pointless because of the lack of basic infrastructure." As a result of the high profile afforded to the oncologist's appeal, the Tashkent khokimiyat has now promised to discuss the issue with the city's recently appointed khokim, Shavkat Umurzakov, within 10-15 days. "If it is not possible to (secure) money to complete the hospice, they will get it from other sources and complete the hospice by September," assured an administration spokesperson. Thanks to the efforts of the Ezgu Amal Charitable Foundation, Israeli Ambassador to Uzbekistan Zehavit Ben-Hillel, Embassy employee Daphne Kfir-Furman and sponsors, Uzbekistan's first and only children's hospice opened in August 2022, has treated 260 patients to date.

Kyrgyzstan Education Central Asia Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Social

Kyrgyz Surgeons Performed Unique Heart Surgery in One Minute

The National Centre of Cardiology and Therapy in Bishkek has announced its implementation of an Emergency Cardiology program to provide emergency care to patients with acute myocardial infarction. The authorities' purchase of new heart surgery equipment including a machine to create ultra-precise 3D reconstructions of the heart on a monitor and the importation of U.S.-made Azurion-7 devices for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases was made possible by the allocation of $1.5 million from the World Bank. In his address at the presentation ceremony, Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Zhaparov welcomed the much needed acquisition of the state -of -the- art, high-tech equipment which will greatly reduce the number of patients dying from heart disease each year. Today, the centre reported that with the aid of new high-tech X-ray surgical equipment and Chinese colleagues' specialised knowledge of its intricacies, doctors performed a successful heart operation in a record time of just one minute and eight seconds. According to Kyrgyz doctors, the patient had been admitted 'with an open oval window'; a particularly dangerous symptom of cardiovascular disease because the presence of holes between the valves of the heart can cause air to eventually enter the brain and lead to a stroke. "We are monitoring the patient's condition and she is doing very well. She was only given a local anaesthetic and in 12 hours, can go home and slowly return to her everyday life," stated Chinese professor Shang Xiaaoqe after the operation. Almost half the patients attending the National Centre of Cardiology for strokes suffer from this type of disease but thanks to the new equipment and adoption of methods used by Chinese medics, its treatment will no longer pose a problem for Kyrgyz doctors. In addition to advice from their Chinese counterparts, Kyrgyz medics have arranged visits from Russian and Kazakh doctors to share their experience and best practices.

Pharmaceuticals

Indian Pharma Makes Changes After Cough Syrup Kills Uzbek Children

The deaths of several children in Uzbekistan caused by Marion Biotech's Dok-1 Max cough syrup have prompted the Indian government to make significant reforms in the pharmaceutical sector. In December 2022 the deaths of 18 children after taking Dok-1 Max were reported, but the cases didn't receive much publicity -- despite Marion Biotech then losing its license to sell that drug in March 2023. Sales of the syrup continued, and in August 2023 details emerged about 65 more child deaths from the same syrup. Local media reported that during the trial prosecutors said that officials had received a $33,000 bribe to not test the drug. As a result, 21 managers and employees of Quramax Medikal LLC, the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency and the Indian State Center for Expertise and Standardization of Medicines, Medical Devices and Medical Equipment were put on trial. The Indian Ministry of Health conducted inspections of all pharmaceutical plants in the country and, as it turned out, in addition to a lack of testing of incoming raw materials detected at 162 plants, less than 25% of the existing 8,500 small pharmaceutical plants meet the requirements of WHO international standards. India has introduced new standards in 2024 to which every company operating in the pharmaceutical industry will have to adhere. According to Tafsilar news agency, the new decrees gave large factories no more than six months to bring everything in line with international standards, while smaller factories were given a year.

Investments Free Economic Zone Uzbekistan Pharmaceuticals

Uzbekistan: New FEZ to attract investment, pharmaceutical technologies from India

TASHKENT (TCA) — The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a Decree “On the establishment of Andijon-Pharm free economic zone,” the Jahon information agency reported. Continue reading