ARMENIAN PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES SHOULD FIND COMMON ASPECTS OF COOPERATION WITH BIG FOREIGN COMPANIES, ADA OFFICIAL SAYS
Noyan Tapan
Jan 28, 2008
YEREVAN, JANUARY 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The international market of
pharmaceutical production is divided among several powerful companies,
and in order to enter this market, Armenian companies should find
some common aspects of cooperation with these companies, the director
for investment attraction of the Armenian Development Agency (ADA)
Natalia Artsruni said during a talk with NT correspondent.
According to her, the establishment of cooperation may start with
the Armenian pharmaceutical companies’ proposal on a number of
long-term scientific developments. The obtaining of their patents
by foreign companies or the financing of laboratories engaged in
scientific developments will contribute to their integaration into
the international pharmaceutical research market, later – also to the
introduction of some pharmaceutical production cycles in Armenia by
foreign companies.
"Unfortunaltely, big companies make investments in countries with
a large market. The Armenian market is small, which is the greatest
obstacle to attraction of invetsments to the country’s pharmaceutical
sector," the ADA’s official underlined.
It was mentioned that liquid medicines that are easy to synthesize,
as well as ointments and pills are mainly produced in Armenia. All
the four institutes of fine organic chemistry conduct pharmaceutical
studies.
In the words of N. Artsruni, with the aim of bringing the
production quality and conditions into line with European
standards, three Armenian pharmaceutical companies have introduced
certificates of correspondence with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
standards. "However, new standards are used in Europe now. Certificates
of correspondence to Drug Master File standards are required for the
import of new medicines, even food supplements for animals, which in
its turn requires considerable investments," she said.
In her opinion, from the viewpoint of satisfying the requirements
on European standards, Armenian pharmaceutical companies may enter
the market by exporting medicines, whose production patents have
expired in some or other European country. She added that markets of
"third world countries" may be considered as perspective for Armenian
pharmaceutical companies.
Natalia Artsruni links the hopes of using the potential of
Armenia’s pharmaceutical companies and research institutions with the
USIAD-financed Competitive Armenian Private Sector (CAPS) project. In
November 2007, the pharmaceutical sector was included in the list of
sectors receiving the project’s assistance – in addition to information
technologies and tourism sectors.
According to ADA’s information, there are 11 pharmaceutical companies
with a total of 500 employees in Armenia. The production of these
companies is sold in the domestic market and exported to Russia,
Georgia and Turkmenistan.