What do businesses say about the innovation process in Vietnam's Medicine and Pharmacy?

Speaking at the workshop “Innovation: The medicine for sustainable development of the pharmaceutical industry” organized by Investment Newspaper on the morning of September 25, major pharmaceutical enterprises all highly appreciated the innovation process in the pharmaceutical industry in Vietnam.

According to Mr. Atul Tandon, General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, he highly appreciated the efforts of the Vietnamese medical and pharmaceutical industry in recent times in innovation and development.

Mr. Atul Tandon, General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam.

AstraZeneca Vietnam General Director said that AstraZeneca has witnessed innovation in infrastructure, hospital medical facilities, further development of private healthcare, improvement in technology application, for progress in surgery, medical industry...

We have seen a lot of progress, AstraZeneca feels positive and optimistic in Vietnam. AstraZeneca's commitment to investing in the field of innovative research and technology is being implemented with programs related to youth health to contribute youth and talent to the development of the healthcare industry.

As a development partner, we proactively contribute to treatment-related activities. We believe that, not only in terms of market access but also in terms of innovation in pharmaceutical products, innovative science, and transformation for people, AstraZeneca is optimistic about the activities that have been and are doing. "Comprehensive innovation for the health of people around the world", Mr. Atul Tandon, General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam emphasized.

Also according to Mr. Atul Tandon, AstraZeneca is at the forefront of clinical research efforts, in the value chain of science, medicine, and cooperation contributing to experimental development.

To date, AstraZeneca has built many laboratories to improve its diagnostic testing capacity, with initiatives that can be replicated from Vietnam to other countries in the Asian region.

“We are proud of our patient-centric approach, tracking the patient journey, accompanying patients from screening to diagnosis and treatment, supporting the development of healthcare infrastructure at facilities, promoting understanding of how to ensure sustainability and adaptability to different circumstances in the process of supporting healthcare development,” said the General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam.

However, Mr. Atul Tandon said that Vietnam's achievements are great but there are many challenges. These include issues such as increasing the burden on patients, an aging population, chronic diseases, natural disasters, etc., which require continuous and unceasing efforts from the medical and pharmaceutical industry.

In addition, Mr. Atul Tandon highly appreciated the efforts of the Vietnamese medical industry in recent times in innovation and development, witnessing the innovation in infrastructure, hospital medical facilities, further development of private healthcare, improvements in technology application, for progress in surgery, medicine...

Not to mention, the healthcare sector contributes 5% of greenhouse gas emissions, higher than the aviation sector, so what Vietnam needs to do is not only focus on clinical innovation, but also contribute better to climate change response, adaptability, and health equity.

According to Mr. Dion Warren, General Director of Takeda Southeast Asia and India, the company pursues a strategy of providing advanced healthcare solutions to build a healthier future for Vietnamese people, through expanding access to medicines and strengthening cooperation with partners to work towards the common goal of improving public health.

Mr. Dion Warren, General Director of Southeast Asia and India Takeda.

Mr. Dion Warren highly appreciated Vietnam's innovation process in developing the pharmaceutical industry and affirmed that over the past time, businesses have made great efforts to adapt to this process.

“We have spent nearly $5 billion on research and development (R&D). Takeda has made significant progress in the areas of cancer treatment, gastrointestinal diseases, rare diseases, plasma therapies and now vaccines,” added Mr. Dion Warren.

Since 2021, Takeda Corporation has been collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, and many hospitals and diagnostic centers to effectively manage rare diseases. Support programs to meet the specific treatment needs of patients with rare diseases, including plasma solutions and new treatments for multiple myeloma and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

In May 2024, we reached a new milestone when the Vietnamese Ministry of Health approved Takeda's dengue vaccine.

This is the first dengue vaccine approved in Vietnam, adding a proactive and sustainable prevention approach to the integrated prevention strategy, in response to the growing public health threat of dengue fever in Vietnam.

Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by dengue fever. In 2022, Vietnam had nearly 370,000 cases, 150 deaths. The disease appears more rampant in the South than in other localities in Vietnam.

Increasing vaccination coverage is a top priority in Takeda's infectious disease prevention strategy, especially as dengue fever is placing a heavy burden on both the national health system and economy.

To achieve this goal, we will continue to work with health authorities, universities, research institutes, partners and public and private vaccination centres.

Takeda has been working to solve various healthcare problems in countries, including Vietnam, for more than 40 years. From our perspective, the most important thing is to cooperate and dialogue to achieve common goals and create meaningful value for the community,” said Mr. Dion Warren.

Takeda is a Japanese pharmaceutical corporation present in more than 80 countries and regions worldwide, with 2023 revenue reaching 28.2 million USD and a team of 50,000 employees.

On the other hand, Ms. Radhika Bhalla, General Director of Viatris Vietnam and Asian Union Markets, Viatris, in recent times, Viatris has made efforts for health care for people when the company has provided high-quality medicines to more than 1 billion patients worldwide.

Ms. Radhika Bhalla, General Director of Viatris Vietnam.

To do this, Viatris has operated a convenient supply chain for people, so that they can access drugs easily and quickly. In addition, Viatris has many technology transfer projects, invested in facilities and human resources to achieve the goal of bringing truly quality drugs to the market.

In addition, Viatris also focuses on sustainability, feasibility, and global scale in the global supply chain when cooperating with medical and pharmaceutical associations to raise awareness for pharmacists and pharmacies in public health care while providing quality, accessible medical solutions.

According to Ms. Radhika Bhalla, at Viatris, the company strives to build a comprehensive business strategy that not only expands the company’s commercial operations in Vietnam but also strengthens our commitment to the local healthcare community. To achieve this goal, the company will focus on a sustainable approach at scale.

Viatris' mission is to help patients around the world live healthier lives at every stage of life, and Viatris works to ensure access to healthcare, no matter where they are or what their circumstances are.

Viatris Vietnam demonstrates this mission by ensuring our diverse portfolio of medicines is available and used in different treatment categories nationwide.

Towards this mission, we will expand our cooperation with local medical associations and health professionals in organizing scientific conferences, training programs and public health initiatives.

Through these efforts, we aim to raise awareness of various health conditions, promote early detection and improve treatment outcomes for the Vietnamese people.

Going forward, Viatris will continue to contribute to the sustainable development of the healthcare sector by prioritizing the expansion of its product portfolio to meet a wider range of unmet healthcare needs in Vietnam.

By providing more diverse treatment solutions, we hope to improve patient treatment effectiveness, optimize disease management costs and improve overall health for the Vietnamese people.

Last but not least, as a strategic partner, Viatris has been and continues to accompany the Ministry of Health and related ministries and sectors in the goal of simplifying drug registration and procurement procedures at medical facilities, thereby contributing to improving treatment effectiveness and access to essential drugs for patients.

Transfer of domestic drug production technology in the pharmaceutical industry has been identified as a top priority of the government to meet the healthcare needs of the Vietnamese people.

As one of the pioneering companies implementing projects on outsourcing and transferring technology for generic drug production in Vietnam, we are very pleased to receive much encouragement and support from the Government and the Ministry of Health. However, this activity still faces many difficulties and problems regarding registration procedures and investment policies.

Therefore, legal reforms are needed to create a clearer and more attractive foreign investment environment for the pharmaceutical industry.

In some countries, policymakers are focusing on this technology transfer initiative to promote supply-side self-sufficiency and help countries address health care needs through a combination of global, regional, and local production.

Vietnam can achieve a similar balance while continuing to attract investment by providing tax incentives, simplifying the licensing process for technology transfer drugs, and facilitating early market entry of these drugs.

“In addition, reducing the administrative burden associated with technology transfer models could attract more investment in expertise from multinational companies to Vietnam and in the long term would promote the strong development of the domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in parallel with maintaining the global supply chain,” said Ms. Viatris.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/doanh-nghiep-noi-gi-ve-qua-trinh-doi-moi-sang-tao-trong-y-duoc-cua-viet-nam-d225806.html