On June 5, Alexey Ivanov, Director of the International BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, moderated the session themed “Drug Security in BRICS Countries" within the framework of the "Ensuring Drug Security" Russian Pharmaceutical Forum timed to coincide with the start of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Ensuring access to effective and high-quality drugs for patients is one of the top priorities on the drug security agenda in the expanded BRICS region. The main focuses of cooperation among BRICS nations are: biosafety issues; strengthening capacity for the development and production of vaccines; increasing the size of national drug markets and the overall share of BRICS markets in the global context; finding a balance between medicinal sovereignty and the unimpeded mutual supplies of drugs; expanding cooperation in pharmaceutical innovations; combining production and research capabilities; and optimizing regulatory procedures to simplify market access for safe and high-quality biosimilars amidst fair competition and in people’s interests. Given the current level of geopolitical turbulence today, the drug policies of BRICS member countries should focus on developing long-term partnerships.
The participants addressed the following questions:
- Does the pharmaceutical market of BRICS countries have the potential and effective solutions that will help address the new challenges?
- How should BRICS states interact to ensure drug security for their citizens? What mechanisms are needed to harmonize this process?
- What prospects are there for BRICS countries to collaborate on their drug policies?
(Read more about the discussion)
Moderator:
- Alexey Ivanov, Director, HSE – Skolkovo Institute for Law and Development, International BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Panelists:
- Murashko Mikhail, Minister of Health of the Russian Federation;
- Panarina Irina, General Manager, AstraZeneca Russia and Eurasia;
- Petrov Aleksandr, Deputy, member of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation;
- Priezzheva Ekaterina, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation;
- Shapiro Evgeniya, Director General, PSK Pharma;
- Sharma Prann, Executive Director, BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry.