One of the largest producers of socially important medicines in Russia - pharmaceutical company Akrikhin signed agreements with companies Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd (India) and CELON (Poland) aimed at enlarging Company product portfolio with a new group of antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS treatment by 2013. Those agreements suppose introduction to the Russian pharmaceutical market of 5 modern high-technology medicines of antiretroviral group, which are generic drugs of medications, the most effective and widely used for therapy of diseases of HIV/AIDS-direction in Russia.

Medicines of HIV/AIDS group, mentioned in the Agreements, are included to the List of 57 strategically important medicines, which production is to be organized in the territory of the Russian Federation by 2015. This list was approved by the Government at the beginning of July of the current year. As it is noted in the RF Government Decree, this list was approved “in order to increase economic availability of medicines for treatment of the most important diseases”. Thus, company Akrikhin intends to take part in the realization of this nation-wide problem by means of organization of the production of a few drugs from the list of strategically important medicines.

At the first stage companies Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd and CELON transfer to Akrikhin exclusive rights on registration and realization in the territory of the Russian Federation of the finished products under private trade names. At present situation in the area of patent protection of the above-mentioned products favours the Company’s decision to enter the market segment of antiretroviral drugs as patent protection for several well-known and effective molecules in Russia has expired. Patent protection term for some other drugs will expire in the short run, and at the present stage, this makes it possible to start preparations for further market access.

Next stage of the collaboration will be technology transfer and organization on the production site of Akrikhin of the complete manufacturing cycle. Akrikhin considers the possibility of construction of separate production capacities for production of those medicines.

“Accumulated capacities of Akrikhin in the area of production of medicines for treatment of socially important diseases (tuberculosis, diabetes, cardiology, etc.) make possible to expand consistently the product portfolio and to launch products of other nosological directions with high social importance. The Company stays committed to develop products which are strategically important for Russian public healthcare and which are vital for Russian patients and undoubtedly, antiretroviral medicines belong to this category of drugs”, commented Company President Jan Slob.

Purchase of HIV\AIDS drugs is realized mostly by the State: within the scope of national project “Health” and federal special-purpose program “AIDS”. By the results of 1-3 quarters of 2010 the state (both federal and regional) purchase of HIV\AIDS drugs equaled to 154,6 mln USD. For the corresponding period last year the state purchase amounted to 170,5 mln USD1. This is due to the purchase reallocation to more efficient drugs, combinatory drugs included. Comparatively small volumes of HIV\AIDS drugs are purchased on the commercial retail market, by the results of 1-3 quarters of 2010 in retail stores HIV\AIDS drugs have been sold to the amount less than 0,65 thous. USD.

It is worth mentioning that the major suppliers of HIV\AIDS drugs are foreign pharmaceutical companies, they domineer both in the state purchase and commercial market.

Nikolay Bespalov, head of the department of analytical research and consulting of PharmExpert: “At present the share of Russian drugs in the segment of HIV\AIDS drugs is insignificantly small and constitutes less than 1%. Meanwhile modern analogues of the currently widely used import medicines undoubtedly will be in great demand in the market. Purchase of drugs produced in the RF in the framework of license partnership with foreign partners will let considerably decrease state finance. Thus the objectives of the Government Decree on 57 strategically important medicines as well as Pharma 2020 will be realized. However taking into consideration the next-to-vain efforts of Russian producers to enter this segment it is important to ensure preferential conditions in state purchase for Russian pharmaceutical companies”.

Additional information:

Within the scope of accepted triennial budget on 2008-2010, Government of the Russian Federation stipulated allocation of about 30 billions of rubles for prevention and treatment of HIV- infected patients. In one of her speeches, commenting distribution of accepted budget, Minister of Public Health and Social Development Tatiana Golikova underlined that “it was not the last sum, in the coming years state possibilities would be directed to increase effectiveness of measures to fight against HIV/AIDS”.

Meanwhile, in 2010, in Russia problem of HIV-infection is as acute, as in other countries all across the world. According to the data of the state statistic observation, on December 31, 2009 in Russia 469 412 HIV-infected people were registered, 4676 of them were children under age of 17 years old. Every year this number increases. If few years ago men were the main group of registered patients, then in recent years there is a clear tendency of increase of cases of HIV among women.

About company Akrikhin:

Akrikhin is in the TOP 5 largest local pharmaceutical producers.

Product portfolio of the company numbers more than 150 drugs of main pharmaco-theraupeutic directions. Akrikhin produces a broad spectrum of socially important medicines. This company is one of the largest Russian producers of the Essential Drugs and medicines for treatment of tuberculosis and diabetes.

In 2010, Akrikhin launched the realization of a large-scale investment program aimed at development and modernization of production complex of the company. Total volume of investments in 2010-2014 will be more than 28 millions of dollars.

For more information, please contact
Julia Zaika, PR manager of the company AKRIKHIN
Telephone number: 8 (495) 721-36-97
Mobile number: 8 (916) 839-95-71
E-mail: j.zaika@akrikhin.ru