Miory Regional Executive Committee

The life and health of people are at the forefront of Belarus's national security. The pharmaceutical and microbiological industries play a special role here. Over the years of independence, Belarus has come a long way in this direction – from producing a modest range of medicines to modern multidisciplinary production of complex medical preparations. In the new issue of the BELTA YouTube project "As a Matter of Fact: The First's Decisions," we will tell you why Alexander Lukashenko demanded the substitution of imported medicines and whether the authorities managed to implement this strategy, why Belarus needed a vaccine center and what trap we all fell into when, according to the President, we "went crazy and stopped living in harmony with nature," what the head of state warned private pharmacies about, and what medicine the Belarusian leader considers the most effective and, at the same time, the cheapest. A small spoiler: it is at everyone's fingertips.

What medicines are produced in Belarus

Biotechnology and pharmaceuticals have long been among the priority development vectors of the Belarusian state. Just one fact: in monetary terms, more than half of the medicines in the country are domestically produced. At the same time, in terms of conventional packages, the share of Belarusian drugs in pharmacies is about 65%. And this figure is growing.

Belarus offers a range of unique drugs for the treatment of oncological, immune, and cardiovascular diseases, antiviral and antibacterial drugs, as well as remedies for the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, digestive tract, metabolism, and others. But, of course, it was not always like this.

The history of the pharmaceutical industry in Belarus began 100 years ago. In the 1920s, the chemical and pharmaceutical plant named after the First Five-Year Plan (now the enterprise "Belmedpreparaty") started operating in the republic. Initially, it produced essential goods: powders, ointments, and mixtures. Over time, the product range expanded and was even supplied to friendly countries of the USSR in Europe, Asia, and to Cuba.

"We count our history from 1929. A lot has been done during this time. Today, we have 12 main production workshops and 6 auxiliary workshops. The company's portfolio includes over 300 medicinal preparations from various pharmacotherapeutic groups. First and foremost, this is oncology. Our enterprise has a rather wide range of such products, and this line of medicinal preparations is expanding year by year," said Sergey Marchenko, Deputy General Director for Innovative Development of RUP "Belmedpreparaty".

The enterprise has also been producing insulins for a long time. And since last year, they are also produced in cartridges. They are used in insulin pens.

"In addition, in cooperation with a Russian company, we have launched an insulin analog - insulin aspart, and work is underway on other insulin analogs. Insulin analogs are our future, so we will expand this line," said Sergey Marchenko.

How the Pharmaceutical Industry of Belarus Developed

With the attainment of independence, the young republic needed to reorganize the work of the pharmaceutical industry. For comparison: today, Belarusian enterprises produce about 1.8 thousand names of medicinal preparations of various groups. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, only 105 names of medicinal products were produced in our country. That is, 17 times less.

As a result, in 1992, the government established the Committee for the Pharmaceutical and Microbiological Industry. Its main task was to increase production, expand the nomenclature, and improve the quality of domestic medicines.

The next stage in the industry's development began in the 2000s. At that time, Alexander Lukashenko set the task of increasing the supply of domestic medical preparations to the domestic market to 50% in value terms. At that time, Belarusian medicines accounted for no more than 25%, with the rest having to be purchased abroad. The figure might not seem small. But in such a situation, to conquer a country, you don't need to threaten it with tanks and missiles – it's enough to stop the supply of medicines. Therefore, the Belarusian authorities decided to seriously focus on the pharmaceutical industry: it became a crucial component of sovereignty and national security.

"We agreed that by the end of next year (read: by the end of the five-year plan), at least 50% of medicines will be of our own production. Medicines that meet world standards. Otherwise, we don't need other medicines. Belarusian drug production must be at the level of world standards. We need to satisfy our own demand, because we spent at least half a billion currency on medicines every year, and maybe even more. Therefore, we need to carry out import substitution," emphasized Alexander Lukashenko, receiving a report from the Minister of Health.

Since 2011, Belarus has begun to approve targeted state programs for the development of import-substituting production of pharmaceutical substances, finished medicinal and diagnostic agents, and for the overall development of the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, during 2011-2019, the total number of organizations involved in the production of pharmaceutical products and preparations increased from 63 to 100, and the volume of industrial production grew eightfold – from Br163 million to over Br1.3 billion. Annually, 60 to 100 new domestic drugs are registered in the Belarusian market.

"Belarus is a social state, and we attach paramount importance to improving people's health. This will always be the case. To this end, we are modernizing medical institutions and equipping them with the latest equipment. Qualified specialists are being trained and, most importantly, the production of domestic medicines is being increased. A foundation for the development of the pharmaceutical industry has been created in Belarus. In 2010, I set the task to increase the share of domestic drugs in the domestic market to 50%. This is one of the issues of national security. We must provide the population with affordable, high-quality domestic medicines," the head of state demanded at a past meeting on the development of the pharmaceutical industry.

To develop and strengthen the pharmaceutical and microbiological industry, in 2017, the head of state ordered the creation of the "Belpharmprom" holding. Today, it includes nine enterprises: six drug manufacturers, one research organization, and one manufacturer of medical devices. The holding has cooperation agreements with two dozen other organizations.

Enterprises of the "Belpharmprom" system produce about half of the medicines in Belarus. The holding accounts for practically half of export supplies. The pharmaceutical products of its organizations are sold in 25 countries.

Why Lukashenko Demands Control Over Drug Prices

Drug prices in pharmacies are also under the President's control. No one will work at a loss, but it is unacceptable to profit at the expense of people, especially for trading organizations, Alexander Lukashenko is convinced.

"The government recently made a decision to curb unjustified price increases. Listen, 10% VAT - what is 10%? It's nothing, but under this guise, everyone started raising prices," the head of state said when receiving a report from the Chairman of the State Control Committee in March 2021.

"And some even increased prices by 30%," noted Vasily Gerasimov.

"Yes. This means that people must be stopped in the most brutal way. We must see both wholesalers and retailers. But most importantly, it's medicine. We must not allow these kinds of crazy people to profit from people's misfortunes. None of them came and brought a penny to support COVID treatment. Nobody, only the state. The country has already spent a billion dollars on this from all sources. What, did someone from the owners of pharmacies and others give some money? Nobody gave. We have 50% state-owned pharmacies, and about 50% private ones. If we don't bring the private ones to their senses, well, then state-owned pharmacies will work. But we cannot allow people's health to be profited from," emphasized Alexander Lukashenko.

Where Belarusian Medicines Are Supplied

As noted by the Ministry of Health, Belarus's pharmaceutical industry is operating stably. In 2024, the production volume of these products amounted to almost Br2.5 billion (at today's exchange rate, this is over $800 million). In actual prices, the production level has increased by more than 20%. And almost a third of the drugs were supplied abroad.

The export strategy of Belarusian enterprises provides for active entry into the markets of Southeast Asian countries, Latin America, Arab states, and developing African countries. In these regions, drug consumption is growing most rapidly, and government spending on healthcare is increasing. For example, last year, pharmaceutical organizations shipped products to Saudi Arabia, Somalia, the UAE, and Qatar for the first time.

Moreover, Belarus is actively developing cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector with its partners, offering them not only supplies but also the organization of joint production. This is an opportunity to support each other and enter third-country markets.

One of the latest such agreements was reached during recent negotiations between the presidents of Belarus and Cuba. According to Alexander Lukashenko, the launch of a joint venture production line for Belarusian medicines intended for the Cuban market and the Caribbean countries is expected in the near future.

How long does it take to develop and release a medicine

Sergey Marchenko said that it takes at least three years to release a new medicine. First, the drug needs to be developed. And for this, it is necessary not only to study the stability of the finished form but also to select a composition that would ensure the compatibility of the components. In addition, all these components must be purchased in advance, and the pharmaceutical and technological characteristics of each ingredient must be checked.

"After we get the finished product, we develop quality control methods. The medicinal product is placed for stability tests so that we are sure that it will meet the quality requirements during its shelf life. After that, there is a rather lengthy state registration procedure. After receiving positive expert opinions (both pharmacologists and pharmacists), a decision on registration is made. And only after that can we put the product into circulation," noted the Deputy General Director of RUE "Belmedpreparaty".

He added that it was not for nothing that in ancient times it was said that any medicine is poison: everything depends only on its quantity. "Therefore, the requirements for such products must be as comprehensive as possible to ensure patient safety and guarantee them product quality," emphasized Sergey Marchenko.

Why Belarus needs its own vaccines

At the beginning of 2020, the Belarusian pharmaceutical industry faced the challenges of the pandemic. However, enterprises managed to mobilize resources and adapt to the situation. The pandemic clearly demonstrated the indispensability of a strong state in combating the crisis and its consequences.

"It is necessary to more actively design and build new healthcare facilities and further develop our drug production. You have seen how promising this area is, and the struggle that unfolded in the world for the primacy of creating a vaccine against COVID-19 confirms my thesis – billions of dollars are at stake. And remember, just a decade and a half ago, we produced only 13% of our own medicines. Then the President set a tough task: 50%, no less. Today we have 60%, and this saved us," said Alexander Lukashenko in his Address to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly in 2020.

However, things were not so smooth on the world stage. Vaccines quickly became an element of high politics: some medicines were not recognized, others were imposed. In general, real vaccine wars broke out. Belarus, in order not to become an accidental victim of these events, also began to create its own viral vaccine.

However, as time went by, the pandemic receded, and it turns out that the coronavirus vaccine is not as relevant today as it was a couple of years ago. Large sums of money were invested in organizing production, and the President demanded that they bring returns. That is, if the coronavirus vaccine is not in demand today, it is necessary to reorient production and establish import substitution of the most popular vaccines. For example, for influenza.

"I am addressing the Ministry of Health, the National Academy of Sciences: you are required to have an active strategy for bringing Belarusian medicines, vaccines, and medical equipment to the market, constant support for developers and manufacturers, including through state orders. The position should not be reduced to the role of a barrier – I will let through/forbid. Work proactively. It was not for nothing that I instructed to create a vaccine center here. This is not only to produce a vaccine against coronavirus. There will be more such coronaviruses in our memory, your memory, especially young people's, not just once. The world is made up of these terrible viruses. We have gone mad, stopped living in harmony with nature. And we will pay for it. Therefore, we need to create this center, which will produce not just any antiviral drugs, but also medicines," the President demanded two years later.

What is the best medicine

The volume of the global pharmaceutical market, according to the National Agency of Investment and Privatization, has already reached $900 billion. This figure is about to increase by one and a half times. That is, Belarus is moving in the right direction by developing pharmaceutical production.

We always say that the most valuable thing for a person is health. But because it is given to us for free, we do not always take care of ourselves as we should. Therefore, here is a life hack for you. The most effective medicine for all diseases, according to Alexander Lukashenko, is a healthy lifestyle and sports. The President emphasizes that it is especially important to stimulate children and adolescents in every way. Therefore, sports facilities of both regional and international class have been and will continue to be built in Belarus. You must agree, it is better to go there than to hospitals and pharmacies.

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