Aspen set to collude with Russia
Agreement was signed on Friday
ASPEN Pharmacare, the multinational South African holding company for pharmaceutical concerns, on Friday entered into a strategic collaboration with Russia’s Far Eastern Federal University (Fefu) in Vladivostok.
Aspen’s senior executive responsible for strategic trade, Stavros Nicolaou said the objective of the collaboration was to improve the quality of education and the research of advanced innovative technology in antithrombosis and anaesthesia, via conducting joint training and research sessions.
Overseeing the signing was Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Yury Trutnev, who is the presidential envoy to Russia’s Far Eastern Province.
Nicolaou, who has more than 20 years experience in the South African and international pharmaceutical industry, said the collaboration with the Fefu was expected to increase awareness and quality of education around thrombosis, thrombotic state as well as aneasthesia.
An antithrombotic agent is a drug that reduces the formation of blood clots. Antithrombotics can be used therapeutically for prevention or treatment of dangerous blood clots.
Nicolaou, who is also a member of the SA Brics Business Council, said the product had already been launched in South Africa. He further said the use of anticoagulants in Russia per capita was 0.17 compared with an average 1.5 in the EU.
Aspen, which was established in Russia in 2013, employs more than 150 qualified specialists, who service state-funded critical medicine areas of antithrombosis and aneasthesiology. Geographically Aspen covers the whole of Russia, including the Far Eastern Federal District.
Aspen, which has a market capitalisation of about $10 billion (R128.52bn), is the largest pharmaceutical company listed on the JSE and ranks among the top 20 listed companies.
Africa’s largest and the world’s ninth-largest generic pharmaceutical company by revenue ranking has a heritage dating back more than 160 years and is committed to sustaining life and promoting healthcare through increasing access to its medicines and products.
Aspen has a strong global presence in both emerging and developed countries with more than 60 established business operations in about 50 countries. One of the principle pharmaceuticals in Aspen’s Russian portfolio is the life-saving injectable anticoagulant called Fraxiparine (Nabroparine Calcium). This low-molecular weight heparin is manufactured through a complex manufacturing technology and provides best in class safety and efficacy. Fraxiparine has been included provisionally in the Russian essential drug list.
Nicolaou said in 2015 Aspen commenced technology transfer for the localised manufacture of Fraxiparine through its local Russian partner Nanolek. “It’s a requirement to manufacture the product locally in Russia,” he said. Manufacture would happen in the Kirov region of Russia.