Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 6 September President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with a presentation on the work done and promising projects in the pharmaceutical industry.

The huge potential of the domestic pharmaceutical industry has not been fully utilized before. In recent years, the industry has been identified as one of the drivers and is consistently developing.

In accordance with the decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan from 3 May 2017, free economic zones specialized in pharmaceuticals were created in Nukus, Zaamin, Kasansay, Syrdarya, Baysun, Bostanlyk and Parkent districts. By the decree from 7 November 2017, the Agency for the Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry was organized under the Ministry of Health. Broad conditions have been created for the cultivation and processing of medicinal plants, attracting investments and producing competitive products.

As a result, over the past five years, 71 new enterprises have been created, more than 2.5 thousand types of medicines, 241 types of medical products and 78 types of medical equipment have been launched. The volume of production of pharmaceutical products has almost doubled.

But these results are not enough, it was noted at the event. Today, domestic enterprises satisfy only 55 percent of the needs of the domestic market in physical terms.

In the next five years, it is planned to increase production in the industry by 3 times and bring the rate of supply of the domestic market to 80 percent in kind. For this, promising projects have been developed for 2022-2026.

During the presentation, information about these projects was provided.

Thus, it is planned to implement 104 investment projects worth US$1.25 billion. As a result, it is expected to create capacities for the production of import-substituting products in the amount of US$376 million and the export of goods for US$84 million. Most importantly, it is planned to provide jobs for about 9 thousand people.

Emphasizing the social and economic significance of these projects, the President instructed to accelerate their implementation.

Particular attention is paid to the cultivation and processing of local medicinal plants.

Medicinal plants of 750 species grow on the territory of our country. All conditions are created for the production of natural products on their basis that are in demand on the world market. In particular, by a presidential decree from 10 April 2020, additional measures were determined for the protection, cultivation and processing of wild medicinal plants; some areas are specialized in the cultivation of medicinal plants. 19 enterprises have been launched in this direction.

But out of 750 species of medicinal plants, only 70 are actively used by manufacturers.

The President noted that deep processing of medicinal plants in the country can bring exports to 15 million dollars and provide jobs for more than 5 thousand people. Responsible persons were instructed to expand production by creating industry clusters.

At the same time, it was pointed out the need to pay special attention to the allocation of land for the cultivation of medicinal plants, the development of seed production and processing, the training of agronomists, and the formation of a consumer market for such plants.

Another large project is the Tashkent Pharma Park innovative research and production pharmaceutical cluster. The modern center, organized in accordance with the presidential decree from 28 January 2020, is being built in Zangiata district of Tashkent region. In particular, a pharmaceutical university, a pharmacopoeia center, a research center, a center of expertise, laboratories, a vivarium and a research and experimental production building are under construction.

It is planned to implement 7 more investment projects worth US$140 million.

The presentation also discussed the prospects for the production of biopharmaceuticals. 

Although the enterprises of our country produce more than 3 thousand names of drugs, these are mainly single-component, simple drugs.

In this regard, the President stressed the importance of organizing the production of innovative biotechnological drugs: oncological, hormonal, blood products, vaccines.

The importance of stimulating the production of domestic pharmaceutical products through public procurement in the health care system, simplifying the certification of products manufactured in accordance with international standards was noted. 

Instructions were given for the development of cooperation between scientific institutions and industrial enterprises, the training of qualified specialists.

The task was set to develop a separate program for the further development of the industry.