AKIPRESS.COM - AstraZeneca considers the drug localization project as one of the priority areas of its activities, said Country Director of AstraZeneca in Kazakhstan Maria Shipuleva at the Kazakhstan Pharmaceutical Forum in Almaty on Feb. 7, The Astana Times reported.

Earlier, the Kazakh Health Ministry signed a roadmap for the drug localization project with several world’s largest companies, including AstraZeneca.

Shipuleva proposed several changes aimed at incentivizing the development of localized production and increasing attractiveness for foreign investors.

Key suggestions included protecting investors’ intellectual property rights through data exclusivity rules for preclinical and clinical studies, as well as restricting counterfeit products’ access to government procurement.

Furthermore, the proposal highlighted the potential for compensating costs during technology transfer and signing a preliminary agreement with SK-Pharmacy for purchasing imported drugs subject to localization.

The forum, attended by representatives from the Kazakh Health Ministry, heads of leading pharmaceutical companies, and industry experts, explored proposals to accelerate access to innovative drugs for Kazakh patients.