Promomed Group summed up the results of SPIEF-2022
Eight presentations at forum events – sessions and discussions on the pharmaceutical industry, regulation and measures to support innovations; five new agreements on cooperation and development of promising projects; meetings with heads of regions and government representatives; negotiations with partners and investors, as well as numerous interviews and comments – these are the results for Promomed Group of the 25th anniversary SPIEF-2022, which became the first in which the company took part.
The forum was attended by Petr Bely, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Promomed Group, Dmitry Zemskov, Executive Director of Biokhimik JSC (member of Promomed Group) and Kira Zaslavskaya, Director of New Products at Promomed Group.
On the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Promomed Group signed an agreement with the Skolkovo Foundation1in order to start joint work in the field of developing biotechnological drugs, new dosage forms, improving methods of synthesis of pharmaceutical substances, conducting preclinical and clinical studies, creating a modern research center. Agreements were also signed with major national universities2: Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Evdokimov Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, Ogarev Mordovia State University, and St. Petersburg State Chemical and Pharmaceutical University in order to develop professions related to high-tech production in the field of pharmaceuticals, training of highly specialized workers of high qualification, advanced training of pharmaceutical production workers and conducting joint research in the development of new drug products.
On the starting day «Security of drug supply» 3 Dmitry Zemskov, speaking at the first plenary session, called for preserving the experience gained during the pandemic as well as mechanisms created to support the industry, especially concerning new original drugs, as an important catalyst for the development of the industry. The speaker noted that the industry is now facing certain limitations in excipients and analytical equipment. «All difficulties are being successfully solved, however, it is important to put the development of processes and compositions on stream,» he stressed. Kira Zaslavskayadrew attention to the fact that one of the most important steps that domestic pharma can take to develop the innovation market is cooperation with research centers: «In order to quickly create innovative drugs, you need to constantly be in the same information field with research institutes, create platforms for inventory and discussion of research and developments.»
In the track «Healthy Society»4 the participants outlined innovative solutions and strategies that will allow Russian pharmaceutical and medical companies to take the lead in the new economic conditions. Petr Bely, assessing the increased responsibility of the domestic pharmaceutical industry, stressed the need to refrain from the import substitution pursuit: «We don’t need to turn the domestic market into the market of generics. We need to focus on unique promising developments in cooperation with the state and scientific centers.» Dmitry Zemskov, answering the question about the appropriateness of using the attribute «innovative» when speaking about the plant with a 60-year history, spoke about a broad modernization program with the expansion of production, emphasizing that today the Biokhimik plant is the most modern enterprise with a rich history.
The topic of the final day was «Investing in health: effective cooperation between business and society»5. During the dialogue, Petr Belysaid: «We must think about how to make Russia a country that produces a large number of next-in-class6or first-in-class7drugs. This is the most important question. Without doubt, it is much more difficult to make first-in-class drugs, but their production in the main therapeutic groups must become a national policy.» «For enterprises engaged in innovative activities, for example, developing Russian pharma, producing domestic drugs, it is necessary to provide benefits, expand the dialogue with them,» Dmitry Zemskovadded. «Tax preferences and support of business should apply not only to residents of special economic zones.»
1 Promomed Group begins joint work with the Skolkovo Foundation
2 Leading national universities will train specialists for Promomed Group
3 Promomed Group at SPIEF. Day 1: «Security of Drug Supply»
4,5 Promomed Group at SPIEF. Day 2: «The course for innovation»
6Next-in-class pharmaceuticals are original medicines protected by a patent, having similar therapeutic properties and mechanisms of action, similar to already successfully used drug products.
7 First-in-class pharmaceuticals are innovative new drug products that have not been on the market yet and use new and unique mechanism of action.
