Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — AstraZeneca is eager to share its international experience with healthcare organizations and regulators in Uzbekistan to enhance access to innovative healthcare solutions.

Despite the growing range of innovative drugs in Uzbekistan’s pharmaceutical market, patient access remains limited. Tatiana Kubasova, Business Development Director for Frontier Markets at AstraZeneca, emphasized this point during her speech at the Eurasian Pharmaceutical Summit in Uzbekistan.

She noted that the limited availability of innovative medications is linked to insufficient healthcare funding, infrequent updates to the Essential Medicines List (EML), and the small number of innovative companies operating locally. "While generics dominate the pharmaceutical market in Uzbekistan, innovative medicines are quite rare. The latest medical solutions significantly improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients, making the issue of accessibility a pressing concern," Kubasova stated.

AstraZeneca is open to multilateral cooperation with relevant organizations to expand access to cutting-edge medical solutions. Kubasova highlighted that when international pharmaceutical companies enter new markets, they not only introduce their products but also create ecosystems that support patients, incorporating modern diagnostic approaches and treatment pathways.

She identified two key components for assisting patients: effective diagnostics, particularly for diseases requiring screening and genetic testing, and a transparent routing system that helps patients navigate the diagnostic and treatment processes. AstraZeneca is ready to share insights gained from successful projects in other countries.

Increasing access to innovative drugs is a top priority for AstraZeneca. Since the company began operations in Uzbekistan in 2021, it has already registered nine medications for treating cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and certain types of cancer.

AstraZeneca aims to broaden its therapeutic areas, including orphan diseases and complex cancer forms.

The Eurasian Pharmaceutical Summit, now in its fifth year, took place in Tashkent from 17 to 19 September 2024, where participants discussed trends in pharmaceutical markets across Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe, engaging in discussions with industry leaders, distributors, pharmacy chains, and regulators.