FAS: the support system for Russian pharmaceutical companies should not be build up on restricting the number of bidders

Russian pharmaceutical manufacturers should be supported through reducing administrative costs and developing export

“FAS is against measures that eliminate or considerably limit the number of bidders in public procurement of drugs. Russian pharmaceutical manufacturers need help, which, however, should not be reduced to protection in the course of public procurement. It is necessary to form regulation that reduce administrative costs of business, work out options for financial and international support for export of medicinal drugs”, said Head of FAS Department for Control over Social Sphere and Trade, Timophey Nizhegorodtsev, at the session on “Regulating pharmaceutical market”, St Petersburg International Legal Forum-2017.

Development of the national pharmaceutical industry is also hampered by unfair practices of registering drugs. “The State Drugs Register in its current form is a mine of possibilities for creating artificial monopolies and competition restrictions”, emphasized Timophey Nizhegorodtsev. “Hopefully, when on 1 January 2018 the Ministry of Health Care publishes a list of substitute drugs, it will reduce market entry barriers for Russian pharmaceutical manufacturers. So far, there are still serious issues with delivery”.