Ukraine plans to jointly produce medications for lung and breast cancer with the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, while Belgium and Lithuania will finance the development of Ukraine’s rehabilitation system.
This was agreed upon today within the framework of the Ukraine Recovery Conference through the signing of three agreements: with Roche Pharma International, the Belgian development agency Enabel, and the Government of Lithuania, announced Mykhailo Radutskyi, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Health, Medical Care, and Medical Insurance.
«For several years, the President’s team has been negotiating with international pharmaceutical companies on localizing production in Ukraine. This is of great importance as it involves tax contributions, the creation of additional jobs, and providing patients with innovative medicines. Today, a meeting took place with Padraig Ward, Head of Commercial Operations at Roche Pharma International. Our delegation included myself, as Chair of the relevant Parliamentary Committee, Deputy Minister of Health Edem Adamanov, and Oleg Kloz, Head of the National Agency ‘Medical Procurement of Ukraine.’»
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MoH) and Roche have signed an investment agreement to establish facilities for the production of innovative medications for lung and breast cancer in Ukraine. The Swiss pharmaceutical company will supply the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) “in bulk,” while the formulation, final packaging, and labeling will be carried out directly in Ukraine at the production facilities of the MoH subsidiary “Medpostachannya.” To proceed, it is necessary to obtain a GMP manufacturing license and conduct personnel training. By 2027, the first patients are expected to receive medications that have completed the final stages of production in Ukraine.
Two additional meetings focused on the field of physical rehabilitation. Since the onset of the full-scale war, demand in this sector has increased exponentially. Over the past three years, a series of important steps have been taken to improve this system: a law developed by our Committee on rehabilitation in healthcare was adopted, which provides services based on a multidisciplinary approach; a law replacing Medical-Social Expert Commissions (MSEKs) with a digitized assessment system was enacted; Primary Health Care (PHC) was expanded with two new packages; three-year contracts were signed for the procurement of medical devices for orthopedics and neurosurgery; and despite wartime conditions, funding for the rehabilitation sector increased by UAH 1.2 billion compared to the previous year. The Ministry of Health projects that the annual need for rehabilitation services will be approximately 250,000 patients. To fully restore this number of people, we require the support of our partners.
The first signed agreement is with Belgium. The contract was signed on behalf of the Belgian development agency Enabel by Managing Director Jean Vanwetter and Director of the Ukraine Office Dirk Depre. On the Ukrainian side, Deputy Minister of Health Edem Adamanov signed the agreement. The memorandum provides for the allocation of €31 million to develop the medical rehabilitation system, specifically focusing on: establishing and strengthening multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams in hospitals; training specialists in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy; conducting trainer workshops for postgraduate education centers; renovating medical facilities (six institutions have been identified in Kyiv, Kyiv region, and Chernihiv region); implementing innovative solutions such as 3D printing of orthopedic devices; and developing national clinical protocols and patient pathways for rehabilitation.
The second agreement is with Lithuania. It was signed by Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gintaras Kūstutis Budrys. The Lithuanian government will allocate €620,000 for the renovation of a historic villa in the village of Briukhovychi, where a space for mental rehabilitation, art therapy, a library, and a café for veterans is planned. This marks the next stage in the development of one of Ukraine’s leading rehabilitation centers — Unbroken. Previously, Lithuania had already invested €5.6 million into the rehabilitation system in Briukhovychi, added Mykhailo Radutskyi.