Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen: We must ensure that new, effective, and biological medicines reach the people as soon as possible.

TCVM – The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Vietnamese agencies and businesses, is discussing and contributing to the development of the industry, especially the biopharmaceutical industry.

In his opening remarks at the discussion, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen outlined the current situation and presented five issues for experts and businesses to discuss.

According to Mr. Do Xuan Tuyen, over the past two years, the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry has made significant progress, contributing importantly to ensuring an adequate supply of medicines to meet the needs of disease prevention, treatment, and healthcare for the people.

The number of pharmaceutical factories increased from 228 to 242, of which 21 met EU-GMP standards. Domestically produced medicines include more than 800 active ingredients belonging to all 13 essential medicine groups according to WHO classification, accounting for approximately 60% of the quantity used and 46% of the value.

The strategy for developing the pharmaceutical industry until 2030, with a vision to 2045, is concretized in the amended Law on Pharmaceuticals recently passed by the National Assembly, setting a target of producing 80% of the necessary medicines domestically and 70% of the market value by 2030.

Among the issues and objectives set by the Ministry of Health, Mr. Do Xuan Tuyen emphasized:

“In the coming period, we must ensure that new, high-quality, and biological medicines reach the people as soon as possible, most importantly at affordable prices, while also ensuring the quality of the medicines. We cannot allow counterfeit drugs to flood the market.”

At the same time, in the coming period, the State will focus on perfecting the legal system, implementing concentrated industrial zones, prioritizing the pharmaceutical-biotechnology industrial zone in Thai Binh and the high-tech medical-pharmaceutical zone in Ho Chi Minh City; prioritizing investment in biological products, vaccines, proprietary drugs, and high technology.”

During the discussion, Ms. Han Thi Khanh Vinh – General Director of Vinapharm Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corporation – also stated:

“The pharmaceutical industry is witnessing a structural shift in the pharmaceutical market from chemical drugs to biologics and biosimilars. According to EvaluatePharma, biologics are projected to account for up to 50% of the global pharmaceutical market by 2025, with expected revenues of $375 billion¹.

The global biosimilar drug market is estimated to reach $35.47 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $82.27 billion in 2029, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.32% during the period 2024-2029.

New and advanced trends such as precision medicine, the application of digital technology to pharmaceuticals, collaboration between pharmaceutical and technology companies, genetic technology, and supply chain restructuring will be strategic turning points that will shape the future of the entire industry.

The Vietnam Pharmaceutical Corporation assesses and believes that the Vietnamese biopharmaceutical industry is facing a strong opportunity for transformation, so that Vietnam will not only be a consumer market but also develop and produce biotechnology products to meet domestic needs and have the capacity to participate in regional and global markets.”

The Management Department will advise on policies to increase investment attractiveness, simplify procedures, strengthen intellectual property protection, and create an ecosystem to support research and production.

Mr. Ta Manh Hung, Deputy Director of the Drug Administration Department of the Ministry of Health , also believes that the shift from producing generic drugs to biological drugs will open up great opportunities for domestic businesses. If they master the technology, Vietnam could become a center for biological drug production in the region and participate in the global supply chain.

Thao An

Source : https://vietmy.net.vn