We want more medicines to be produced in Poland
The Medical Research Agency will support research on the development of new generic and biosimilar medicines. Researchers will receive PLN 150 million.
Currently up to 40% of medicines sold in the European Union come from Asia, and 80% of active substances are produced in China and India. In Poland only about 30% of medicines sold in pharmacies come from local production. Support for the market of generic and biosimilar medicines by the Medical Research Agency is expected to contribute to ensuring drug safety, making Poland less dependent on foreign manufacturers and suppliers and increasing GDP.
Safety
The Sars-CoV-2 pandemic has revealed a number of problems in the healthcare system. Under crisis conditions, supply chains from foreign manufacturers may be disrupted and lead to shortages, posing an additional threat to patient life and health. Drug safety can be guaranteed by domestic production of essential medicines. It is therefore crucial to create the right conditions for the pharmaceutical industry in Poland to encourage investment in the production of finished medicines, especially generics and biosimilars. This is also intended to make Poland less dependent on foreign manufacturers and suppliers of medicines.
- These products are of key importance for ensuring the protection of health and well-being of citizens, ensure the ability to respond quickly to changing epidemiological conditions and will support mechanisms related to maintaining competitiveness, innovation and sustainable pharmaceutical production, taking into account the needs of patients and the healthcare system - explains the President of the Medical Research Agency, Radosław Sierpiński, MD.
Economic reinforcement
Apart from ensuring the drug safety of the country, the economic aspect is also important. Greater drug production in Poland will translate into GDP growth and greater employment. Moreover, an inherent element of R&D projects is the development of innovation.
- Increasing funds for development will make it easier to attract foreign investment, but also to keep scientists and university graduates in the country. Investment in innovativeness therefore translates into an increase in the potential of the whole economy and strengthening the country's position on the international arena - emphasises Sławomir Gadomski, ABM Vice President for Research Funding.
The Polish pharmaceutical industry is one of the most strategic industries of the country. According to PZPPF (Polish Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Employers) it is the largest in Central Europe and the sixth largest in the EU. A significant number of companies are manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicines. In a 2020 report prepared by the National Pharmaceutical Manufacturers on the impact of the pharmaceutical sector on the country's economy, the number of entities engaged in the business of manufacturing pharmaceuticals (by PKD) increased from 281 in 2010 to 378 in 2018. The report also indicates that Polish foreign trade in pharmaceutical products is characterised by a constant negative balance of exchange. Imports of pharmaceutical products in recent years increased until 2017, in subsequent years they were reduced by an increase in exports, but this did not allow for a complete reduction of the negative balance. The authors of the report pointed out that this is due to the Ministry of Health's drug policy based on the introduction of an increasing number of new innovative medicines and favouring the cheapest imported generics.
Commercialisation of results
The Call for proposals will allow submitting Projects at various stages of development - both those at the stage of an idea and those requiring development work. Co-financing is provided for activities in the scope of basic research, industrial research and development works. Additionally, enterprises from the SME sector can apply for co-financing of consultancy services. However, regardless of the initial phase in which the Project is located, it must end with registration and implementation of the medicinal product into production within the Beneficiary's own business activity or within a third entity's business activity (granting a licence to a third entity by the Beneficiary or sale of rights to a third entity by the Beneficiary).
The call for proposals aims to provide financial support for research and development works in the scope of elaboration and development of innovative solutions in the field of new pharmaceutical forms of authorised drugs, generic drugs and biosimilar drugs.
The scope of activities covered by the call includes:
- development of new forms of medicines with modified release;
- development of new pharmaceutical forms of medicinal products based on authorised active substances
- Development of complex medicinal products;
- Development of generic medicines;
- development of biosimilar medicines.
The call will be launched on 31 May 2022. Applications will be open until 31 August 2022.