20 years on guard of the drug safety of the Russian Federation
At the end of the last year, Novouralsk-based Medsintez Plant turned 20 years old. Alexander Petrov, Chairman of the plant's Board of Directors, told Regions of Russia about the impressive successes that the company has achieved over the years and its ambitious plans for the future.
– The idea of creating the Medsintez Plant traces its roots back to 1999. We created the plant from scratch and manufactured the first products already in 2003. It all started with a single workshop – the workshop of infusion solutions. Now, 20 years later, Medsintez is a large enterprise with several production sites. Apart from infusion solutions, we produce drugs for the treatment of diabetes, drugs for women's reproductive health, our own pharmaceutical packaging, and more. Medsintez is included in the list of systemic companies in Russia, and today the company employs more than 500 people trained in accordance with the international GMP requirements. The products of the plant are supplied to all regions of Russia. The production capacities address 100 percent of the country's annual need for vital insulin and drugs for the treatment of infertility, as well as provide a serious support to the country during epidemics and pandemics of viral diseases.
– Could you please name three top products developed by the Medsintez Plant over the 20 years of its existence.
– The first is, of course, our insulin program. We launched it in 2008, and back then it was a real breakthrough. At that time, Russia did not have its own (domestic) insulin at all, and foreign ones cost some unimaginable money. As soon as we launched production of our own, foreign companies reduced the price by 30 percent. That is, the Russian budget had the opportunity to purchase additional drugs.
The second drug is Triazavirin. It is effective against viral infections such as influenza, ARVI, and COVID-19. We have proven it in clinical trials. Tests for the prevention of COVID-19 have recently been carried out, and now Triazavirin is the only drug approved by the Russian Ministry of Health for the prevention of COVID-19.
And as the third top product I would name our medications for IVF, that is, for infertility. We produce the first Russian follitropin alfa preparation – Primapur.
Another achievement is the injection pen, which is used to inject insulin and other drugs. This is our own development, and now we are absolutely independent of the European suppliers in this matter.
– The events of the two previous years have been catastrophic for some representatives of the Russian business, but for some others they have turned out to be beneficial in terms of the development. How did the start of the special military operation (SMO) affect your company?
– It did affect the operation of the plant greatly, because the supply of some crucial components from the USA and Europe ceased. However, it gave us a huge incentive for development at the same time. And I think we have withstood this test successfully, very successfully. Namely, we have found new suppliers and created our own production of Russian reagents.
– Did you manage to keep the entire range of your drugs or did you have anything to give up?
– We've kept everything. Moreover, new drugs and even entire focus areas have emerged. For example, in 2023, we launched production of the drugs of the glutide group (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1)) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
We also launched the world's first insulins for veterinary use based on human insulin specially for cats and dogs. The project took us three years of research. In the absence of the foreign medications on the Russian market, we will provide a reliable support for pet owners in caring for their pets’ health.
– What are the plans of the plant for 2024?
– Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared this year the Year of the Family. We support this in every possible way, since we have been working on strengthening Russian families for a long time: since 2019, we have been producing drugs for women’s reproductive health. And this year, we will launch several new developments so that women, who are unable to have a child naturally, will receive the full range of necessary drugs and be able to give birth to healthy children. Actually, we have lots of ideas. The team that develops drugs at the plant is very active. People are passionate about what they do. Their eyes are shining. And when the eyes are shining, it means that we will do fine.
