Sechenov University has initiated the creation of the Consortium for Innovative Pharmaceuticals. This body will include Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Higher School of Economics (HSE University), the Gamaleya National Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the Research Zakusov Institute of Pharmacology, and the Institute of Physiologically Active Substances of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

During the pandemic, the close cooperation between academic research and businesses helped Russia to become one of the world leaders in the production of COVID-19 vaccines. The pharmaceutical industry can become one of the drivers of a high-tech economy in the country. However, the huge potential of Russian science remains largely unrealised — until key mechanisms of interaction with business are formed.

To change the situation, Sechenov University initiated the creation of the Consortium for Innovative Pharmaceuticals, which will form a system of interaction and implementation of joint projects to develop innovative medicines. The system will include a complete translational medicine cycle — the search for new targets and molecules (drug design), screening for biological activity, and transfer of technologies to production sites with access to markets. It is also important to create new educational programmes to train specialists for drug development and product launch.

Petr Glybochko

Rector of Sechenov University

The creation of the Consortium is an important step in consolidating the efforts of science and business to preserve the health of Russians and develop a high-tech economy in our country. The creation of innovative drugs is a complex and expensive process that requires high scientific and industrial competencies, as well as highly professional specialists. Sechenov University is creating an open platform for such cooperation, and we are inviting all interested universities, research centres, and businesses to join the Consortium so we can work together on these projects.

He also pointed out that the Consortium for Innovative Pharmaceuticals would contribute to the implementation of the Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of Sechenov University Until 2030, in alignment with the academic leadership initiative Priority 2030.

Cooperation with the Government of Moscow, the Moscow Department of Health (a key R&D customer), the Moscow Innovation Cluster, and the Moscow Centre for Innovative Technologies in Healthcare will facilitate the creation of a system for accelerated drug trials.

Leonid Gokhberg

First Vice-Rector of HSE University and Director of the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge

Our pioneering study of the frontiers of the modern world scientific agenda, carried out using the iFORA big data analysis system, demonstrated the critical role of themes related to the development of digital and biological technologies. At their intersection, we should expect breakthroughs in medicine and healthcare. This also follows from our other project on monitoring global technological trends, which our Institute has been conducting for about ten years. Connecting the profile expertise of Sechenov University and other leading medical universities to foresight research at HSE University will highlight the most promising areas of research and help strengthen Russia’s positions on innovative markets. Foresight studies will also aim at identifying promising skills and competencies that will be needed in the future, taking into account the expected technological breakthroughs.

The Consortium will also include a number of leading pharmaceutical companies of Russia, development institutes, and associations: ChemRar Group, R-Pharm Group, GEROPHARM, NANOLEK LLC, and the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Andrey Ivashchenko

Chairman of the Board at ChemRar Group

Over the past two years, the importance of the fact that we in Russia should have a strong domestic pharmaceutical industry, focused primarily on the creation of innovative drugs and technological sovereignty, has become especially obvious. The national drug safety of our country depends on how effectively the entire system is built — from primary research and 1st/2nd phase clinical trials (including the localisation of the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished products) to product launch. The Consortium, which includes the country’s leading universities, research organisations, and industry enterprises, can play a key role in the innovation cycle of the pharmaceutical industry. Very few countries in the world can afford to have their own innovative pharmaceutical industries — the US, Western Europe, Japan — but thanks to the strong academic schools of chemistry, biology, medicine, and pharmacy, Russia can have everything it needs and every chance to enter this elite club.

Peter Rodionov

General Manager at GEROPHARM

Today, considerable attention is given to the development of innovative products in the pharmaceutical industry. Comprehensive interactions between science and businesses are necessary for the introduction of advanced technologies in order to reduce the development time and bring original drugs to the market. Our domestic innovations are a guarantee of independence from imports, which is necessary for the continuous provision of Russian patients with affordable and safe medicines. In addition, domestic products — competitive and popular on the international markets — will allow our country to increase the volume of non-primary exports.

Vladimir Khristenko

President of NANOLEK LLC.

During the coronavirus pandemic, it became clear to everyone how important it is to bring new effective products to the market. Moreover, it is especially important to do it on time and to meet the demands of the market. The price of delay is the health — and even lives — of people. To achieve these ambitious goals, it is very important to establish high-quality cooperation between pharmaceutical manufacturers and scientific institutions. In the pharmaceutical industry, investments in early development are always risky, so the combination of the experience of companies and scientists is especially important. This also applies to the development and transfer of technologies, and the final production of the required amounts of medicines. Technology and production are priority areas for the development of the entire pharmaceutical industry — and our company in particular. According to NANOLEK’s new strategy, we are planning to become the leading vaccine manufacturer in Russia within five years — which means the addition of at least four new vaccines to our portfolio. To achieve these ambitious goals, we are ready to team up with the leaders in academic research.

Aleksey Kedrin

Chairman of the Board of the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of the EAEU

We believe that the expertise of the members of the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of the EAEU and the joint work within the Consortium will serve to develop the industry — and ultimately to preserve the health of our fellow citizens.

To develop a long-term scientific agenda within the framework of the Consortium, it is planned to analyse the markets of medicines and medical technologies and to perform foresight studies. This should result in predictive models in the field of the development of new technologies for creating drugs.