Ministry of Science and Technology helps Binh Dinh make radioactive medicine

The unit mentioned by Mr. Thai is Binh Dinh Pharmaceutical - Medical Equipment Joint Stock Company (Bidiphar).

Radiopharmaceuticals are products of nuclear medicine, a field that applies atomic energy through the use of radioactive isotopes in research and evaluation of the pathogenesis and metabolism of the body to serve diagnosis and treatment.

Deputy Minister Tran Hong Thai affirmed that enterprises in the leading group in the country in the field of drug and medical equipment production and are addresses with a tradition of pioneering in research, application, and deployment of scientific and technical advances in production, especially with cancer treatment drugs like Bidiphar, will be suitable for this direction.

Emphasizing that pharmaceutical production is a major spearhead of Binh Dinh, Mr. Tran Hong Thai said: “We have done cancer drugs, replacing imported products, we have done it well. Currently, nuclear energy has become a useful technology choice in many fields, including healthcare. The Ministry of Science and Technology will create conditions to support Binh Dinh to the maximum. We currently have a nuclear reactor in Da Lat, with a capacity of 0.5 MW, and are speeding up the construction of another reactor, with a capacity 20 times higher. It is expected that by 2032, Vietnam will produce about 100 types of radioactive pharmaceuticals compared to less than 10 types now.”

The leaders of the Ministry of Science and Technology assigned the Department of Atomic Energy to coordinate with local authorities and Bidiphar to "immediately connect" with the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute to prepare content for planning the transfer, reception, research, and application of the radioactive drug production process.

Mr. Thai promised: "Next week, we will discuss more specifically with the leaders of the Ministry of Health and the Department of Drug Administration."

Bidiphar General Director Pham Thi Thanh Huong informs about the company. Photo: Xuan Nhan.

According to General Director Pham Thi Thanh Huong, Bidiphar is one of the 5 most prestigious pharmaceutical manufacturers in Vietnam (Vietnam Report 2023 assessment report), top 2 in kidney services and leading in cancer drugs in the country's market share. The company currently has 300 products, distributed to 20,000 pharmacies, 2,000 hospitals and exported to 10 countries around the world.

In recent years, Bidiphar has mainly focused on manufacturing and trading its own products. With more than 1,200 employees, the company has achieved revenue of 1,900 billion VND/year, being one of the enterprises with the largest sales in the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry.

Bidiphar staff working in the technical area. Photo: Xuan Nhan.

At the meeting, Ms. Pham Thi Thanh Huong recommended that the Ministry of Science and Technology take measures to remove difficulties and obstacles in mechanisms and policies so that science and technology can truly become a strong driving force to promote production, including the production of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and equipment.

Ms. Huong proposed that the Ministry of Science and Technology support research, develop processes for selecting, breeding, planting, harvesting, extracting and processing commercial products of some medicinal plants such as An Xoa, Gipaya, and Rehmannia glutinosa in An Toan commune, An Lao district.

Source: https://laodong.vn/kinh-doanh/bo-khoa-hoc-va-cong-nghe-giup-binh-dinh-lam-thuoc-phong-xa-1369223.ldo