Uzbekistan plans to register four new drugs within a year, aimed at treating oncological diseases, including breast cancer, and rare diseases.

This was reported by Tatyana Kubasova, Director of Business Development and Frontier Markets at AstraZeneca in Russia and Eurasia, on the sidelines of the V International Pharmaceutical Forum in Tashkent.

The issue of localizing production of these drugs in Uzbekistan remains open. Kubasova explained that before considering local production, the healthcare system must be built up—from patient diagnosis to treatment prescription. Only when demand for a drug becomes stable and predictable is the manufacturer ready to consider localization. No specific timelines were given, but Kubasova expressed hope that with support from the Ministry of Health, progress could be made within one to two years.

A key issue is the cost of innovative therapy; expensive drugs for oncology and rare diseases remain inaccessible to most patients in Uzbekistan. According to Kubasova, a solution could be a cost-sharing mechanism, where the cost of expensive drugs is split among the state, insurance system, and, if necessary, the patient.

“We bring innovations precisely to areas where patients need them most,” Kubasova said. She stated that AstraZeneca is ready to actively participate in developing such programs in Uzbekistan.

Source: podrobno.uz