ChemRar Group took part in the Russia-Africa Summit 2023
From July 27 to 28, the Economic and Humanitarian Forum took place in Saint Petersburg as part of the Second Russia–Africa Summit. ChemRar Group’s representatives led by Irina Yuryevna Tyrnova, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Exports, took part in the business program of this Forum.
As part of the Forum, a working meeting was held between Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the leader of Burkina Faso, and a delegation of the BRICS Alliance, which included representatives of ChemRar Group. Larisa Zelentsova, President of the BRICS Alliance, announced the intention to build a medical center and a pharmaceutical production facility in Burkina Faso. The Government of Burkina Faso and the BRICS International Alliance have already signed a memorandum of cooperation. At the meeting, the parties discussed supplying of 50,000 packages of AVIFAVIR, the world’s first registered direct antiviral medicine developed and manufactured by scientists of ChemRar Group to treat COVID-19, as part of humanitarian aid, with subsequent registration and supply of medicinal products of ChemRar Group in Burkina Faso on a regular basis. Participants also discussed opportunities for partial localization of the drug manufacture in this African country. “President Traoré confirmed that our projects will gain full support of the executive authorities,” said Sergey Restevanyan, a representative of ChemRar Group, after the meeting.
President of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traore at a working meeting with representatives of the BRICS alliance
At the Forum’s exhibition in the “Pharmaceutics and Medicine” cluster, ChemRar Group presented its updated portfolio of medicinal products for the treatment of oncological, viral, neurological, autoimmune, and orphan diseases, including both innovative and import-substituting drugs fully manufactured in Russia. Denis Vinokurov, Director for Business Development and Communications of ChemRar Group, presented the export portfolio of medicines, some of which have already been registered and supplied across the world.
Director for Business Development and Communications of ChemRar Group of Companies Denis Vinokurov at the presentation of the exported portfolio of drugs of the group of companies
Mikhail Murashko, the Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, visited this cluster and introduced Russian companies to his colleagues from African countries. Mikhail Murashko announced that the Russian Federation is ready to supply anti-HIV medicines to Africa: “It is necessary to note a wide range of drugs against viral infections, such as the human immunodeficiency virus. I would like to emphasize that the world’s lowest prices for this group of drugs, as reported by the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service, make them highly available for our patients in the Russian Federation,” said the Minister at the session of the Russia–Africa Summit. As of 2022, about 25.6 million people in Africa were recognized HIV-infected and 660,000 new cases were registered during the year. In certain countries, almost ¼ of the population is HIV-infected. ChemRar Group expressed its readiness to join these mutual efforts of countries in the fight against HIV.
ChemRar Group develops and manufactures a range of products to address this issue, such as ELPIDA® — the first innovative drug in the 21st century for the treatment of HIV and the best medicine among NNRTIs, which quickly reduces the viral load in the blood and causes fewer side effects compared to similar medicines available on the market. In addition, at the end of 2022, the company released ELPIDA® COMBI — a combined anti-HIV drug containing a fixed dose of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, elsulfavirin and emtricitabine. Simplified dosage administration and better compliance to therapy are the key advantages of Elpida® Combi as a combined medicine.
Elpida, as part of ChemRar Group, with the support of the Skolkovo Foundation, is currently researching and developing VM-1500A-LAI — an injectable intramuscular nanoformulation, which would be a prolonged form of the active metabolite of elsulfavirin. Thanks to the innovative formula, patients will need to take this drug once a month or even less often.
Representatives of the ChemRar Group at the Economic and Humanitarian Forum within the framework of the Second Russia-Africa Summit
Separate meetings were also held between ChemRar Group representatives and high-ranking officials and business representatives from Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Representatives of African countries expressed their interest in ChemRar Group products and discussed possible cooperation on commercial supplies, technology transfers and scientific cooperation in the development of new medicines.
“Though cooperation with Africa has begun only recently, we already see multiple areas with significant potential, where our competencies and products can help African patients. The Forum has shown that lots of regional partners in this field of pharmaceuticals are very interested and motivated to cooperate with Russian companies,” said Irina Tyrnova, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Exports of ChemRar Group.
Member of the Board of Directors and head of export development Irina Tyrnova at the Economic and Humanitarian Forum within the framework of the Second Russia-Africa Summit