In Ukraine, there should be a policy of protectionism, and domestic producers must primarily focus on meeting the internal demand for pharmaceuticals, believes Ekaterina Zahori, the director of the board of the pharmaceutical company "Darnitsa."
"If five years ago we thought that the pharmaceutical business needed to expand abroad, to export, now we have clearly answered the question: the country needs a protectionist policy, and the pharmaceutical business is a matter of national security within the country," she stated during the forum "Dialogues with NV: Ukraine Changes the World. How Opportunities Open Up?" on Wednesday.
Zahori noted that before "looking at what is happening beyond the borders of the country, we must first produce medicines that will fully provide for the country internally."
"This has somewhat changed our attitude toward what is happening. Our new strategy, which we have fully adopted, is that first and foremost, we ensure complete coverage for Ukraine," she emphasized.
Zahori mentioned that Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies are currently reassessing their strategies based on the current situation.
"Five years ago, we looked at the pharmaceutical strategy of the EU because we are closer to Europe. There are a lot of rules and regulations in Europe; we thought this should work for us and looked that way. But it’s not like that. The direction in which Europe is developing in the pharmaceutical business is not the path we should take. It won't help us at all," she said.
"When borders are closed, when importing is difficult, when logistics and distribution are challenging, we must first ensure the needs of the Ukrainian consumer. This is a completely different tactic and strategy. For the pharmaceutical business, this is unequivocal because it is a matter of national security," Zahori stressed.
As reported, the share of exports in the total sales of the pharmaceutical company "Darnitsa" amounted to 3.5% by the end of 2024. As of the end of 2024, "Darnitsa" products were registered in 22 countries, including Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vietnam, Armenia, Georgia, Israel, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Malaysia, Moldova, Mongolia, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
In 2024, "Darnitsa" registered 10 pharmaceuticals abroad and entered the markets of six new countries. Specifically, the new markets opened in 2024 included EU countries, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, New Zealand, and Malaysia.
By the end of 2023, the export share in "Darnitsa's" sales reached 4%, with the company exporting products to 17 countries.