The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Geropharm, and Zuma Pharma (Uzbekistan) signed a cooperation agreement for the analog and human insulins production technology transfer and localization of production in Uzbekistan.
The signing ceremony was attended by Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and Sardor Umurzakov, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade.
The concluded agreement is of a strategic nature and defines the main areas of cooperation for insulin production in Uzbekistan.
According to the statistics of the Republican Specialized Research and Practical Medical Center of Endocrinology of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan has more than 277,000 diabetes patients, including more than 3,000 children and adolescents under the age of 18. The implementation of the investment project will provide citizens of Uzbekistan suffering from diabetes with modern, effective and affordable insulin products.
Taking into account the need for the development of biotechnological production in the country and ensuring the sustainability of drug supply of Uzbekistan, Geropharm will transfer the technology for the production of analog and human insulins to Zuma Pharma site, where the production of the finished dosage form may be localized later.
To implement the agreement, the parties will create a working group and develop a project implementation plan (a roadmap) defining the terms and conditions of cooperation.
“Geropharm already has a successful experience of technological transfer of insulin production to other countries. We are ready to continue sharing expertise and technologies in this area, as daily injections are crucial for hundreds of thousands of diabetic patients. Today we are taking all the necessary steps to provide drugs to Russian patients who use Geropharma insulins, and to develop insulin production abroad. We are convinced that the life of every patient is important, and if we can help in the solution of this acute social problem, we consider it our responsibility,” Peter Rodionov, the company’s CEO, said.
In addition to technological cooperation, Geropharm will also continue to provide support in advance training of medical professionals who work in medical institutions in Uzbekistan.
Since April 1, a new model of medical supervision and patronage has been introduced in the republic in order to ensure early detection and targeted monitoring of endocrine diseases. It also provides for specialist retraining in the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine diseases. The development of interstate dialogue makes a significant contribution to the solution of this task in many ways, including meetings of Russian and Uzbek specialists, and the creation of an academic, educational and research environment for the development and implementation of effective joint projects.
Thus, in February 2022, the company helped to organized a visit to the Russian Federation of Feruz Turaev, the director of the Republican Specialized Research and Practical Medical Center of Endocrinology of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Feruza Haidarova, the chief endocrinologist of Uzbekistan, for a series of meetings in leading medical centers of Russia. As a result of the meetings, two cooperation agreements were signed (with the Federal State Budgetary Institution “NMRC of Endocrinology of the Ministry of Health of Russia” and the Federal State Budgetary Institution Almazov National Medical Reseach Center of the Ministry of Health of Russia). At the moment, it is planned to launch an educational project for doctors and patients aimed at the prevention and treatment of diabetes.