"BelVitunipharm" has opened a drug packaging and filling production facility

March 2, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Republican Unitary Enterprise "BelVitunipharma" has started packaging medicinal products, thereby completing the first stage of the business plan for creating a chemical and pharmaceutical production in Vitebsk – the establishment of a packaging unit. This was announced today at a press conference by the company's director, Oleg Merkushev, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. The first product of "BelVitunipharma" was oxymal (meloxicam) – a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Since the beginning of December, products worth Br450 million have been produced, and products worth Br250 million have been sold. According to Oleg Merkushev, contracts for the supply of this medicine to the republic's pharmacy network have been concluded, so there will be no problems with its sales. The modern line for packaging medicinal products is fully computerized and allows for the packaging of various forms of solid medicinal products, with the time for retooling for a new format not exceeding 20 minutes. The maximum productivity of the line is up to 400 blisters (primary packaging for 5 to 10 tablets) per minute, and the technology used minimizes waste of packaging materials. The line reaching its production capacity will allow the enterprise to master the production of 13 types of drugs, and in the future, to increase this number to 50 types, of which 48 drugs are planned to be produced in tablet form, and the rest in gelatin capsules. These will mainly be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial drugs, including those intended for the treatment of cardiovascular and digestive system diseases. The Jordanian pharmaceutical enterprise JPM is also a partner of the Vitebsk enterprise. The second stage of the business plan will be the creation of drug production. The tender was won by the Czech engineering firm Favea, which specializes in turnkey construction of clean rooms for the pharmaceutical and medical industries. Within the framework of the contract, it is planned to develop project documentation for the reconstruction of the enterprise's existing facilities and the organization of import-substituting production of finished medicinal products. This includes a workshop for tablets and capsules, ointment production, and the release of sterile drugs in vials and ampoules. The new pharmaceutical production will be built in full compliance with GMP requirements and equipped with the latest technologies for the production of high-quality, affordable medicines that are competitive not only in the Belarusian but also in the international market. As previously reported, the total contract amount is 340 thousand euros. The creation of the pharmaceutical complex is planned to be financed through the enterprise's authorized capital, attraction of foreign investment, and credit resources from Czech banks. "BelVitunipharma" has set ambitious goals – to sell medicinal products worth 80 million euros by 2017. According to Oleg Merkushev, this is achievable, as the enterprise's certification in accordance with GMP requirements opens up broad opportunities for exporting products to the markets of Russia and Kazakhstan. RUE "BelVitunipharma" was established in October 2008 to implement a project for organizing chemical and pharmaceutical production in Vitebsk. -0-