The main topic of discussion was how to ensure balanced economic development in the context of structural transformation. During the congress, members of Delovaya Rossiya’s coordinating and general councils, as well as entrepreneurs from the organization’s 89 regional branches, government representatives, and the Central Bank’s leadership, discussed ways to develop the country’s economy and society. At a meeting with the President of Russia, Vasily Ignatiev, the general director of R-Pharm, spoke about the development of the pharmaceutical industry and existing state support mechanisms. He also made a number of proposals.
Over the past 10-15 years, most economic support measures have focused on import substitution, the creation of new industries and jobs. However, a sufficient production base has already been established in a number of industries, including pharma. The creation of new product lines is now taking center stage. Investments in this area ensure technological sovereignty and the opportunity to enter international markets.
Vasily Ignatiev cited clinical trials of new drugs with concessional financing from VEB.RF as an example of the successful implementation of such a project at R-Pharm. At the moment, four drugs have already been successfully registered under this program, and two of them are protected by international patents. They are also undergoing registration or have already registered in 11 countries, and this list is growing to include countries in the Persian Gulf, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Vasily Ignatiev says that the Industrial Development Fund is the most reliable support mechanism today. Unfortunately, the loans provided are insufficient to cover the costs of major research programs. The cluster investment platform mainly focuses investor support on capital investments in construction, equipping production facilities, and developing in-demand product lines.
“In order to include the costs of creating new and improved pharmaceutical products, the so-called priority product lists, we propose to finalize the criteria for granting subsidies under Russian Government Decree No. 295,” said the general director of R-Pharm.
As part of the Pharma 2030 strategy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is developing a new program that will cover up to 50% of the costs of clinical trials for new drugs that are successfully registered. The representative of R-Pharm expressed hope for the early adoption of the program.
One of the most discussed topics at the XX Congress of Delovaya Rossiya was the improvement of the offset contract mechanism. An offset contract is an agreement between a region and a manufacturer that involves reciprocal obligations. The region benefits from modern production facilities and new job opportunities, while the company enjoys a guaranteed demand for its products. However, the range of products supplied is fixed for 10 years or more in advance, which makes it difficult to supply improved and improved goods. For these drugs to be made available to the healthcare system as offsets, the legislative level must determine the cases and procedures for amending offset contracts. This would provide greater flexibility at the delivery stage, provided the customer consents and there is strict compliance with investment obligations.
Vasily Ignatiev concluded, “Our country is reliably protected in terms of the accessibility and impeccable quality of our medicines. With the right support, our industry enterprises are ready to enter new markets and move forward.”
Following the report by the General Director of R-Pharm, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude to the healthcare staff:
“This is the most important area of work—the health of citizens. It is one of the key topics and areas. It goes without saying that we have made enormous progress in this area recently. I want to thank you, as well as everyone who works in this field.”
