The Federal State Unitary Enterprise Moscow State Endocrine Plant holds a strong position at the Russian pharmaceutical market. The Enterprise has a 70-year history of successful activities in the development and production of high-quality and available drugs - from the manufacture of substances to the release of finished dosage forms. The plant products are widely known for high quality and in demand in all regions of Russia. Demand for it keeps growing and this is a powerful incentive for dynamic development. Today the director of the Moscow Endocrine Plant Mikhail Yuryevich Fonarev is our partner in conversation.
- Mikhail Yuryevich, the emblem of the Moscow Endocrine Plant, as well as its trademark is the silhouette of a red deer. Why a deer?
- The red deer is our story. More than half a century ago, in the 60s, the plant created a site for the production of the drug pantocrine - the "elixir of health and longevity" from red deer velvets. It is clear that you can not imagine the best logo for our enterprise. Already at that time the plant was the largest in the country in the production of pharmaceutical substances and finished dosage forms. It has been doing this since its founding in 1943, when the endocrine drug factory was commissioned on the basis of the Moscow Meat Processing Plant named after A.I. Mikoyan. In wartime conditions they were able to establish quickly the production of insulin, myol, thyroidin, the production of which was carried out from cattle raw materials.
In 1962, the Moscow Endocrine Plant became a state enterprise of union subordination. It developed, a new production building was put into operation with lines for the production of intermedin, adrenaline, mycoin, lidase, pantocrine and a number of other drugs. In 1968 the plant was one of the first in the country to launch the production of medicines in syringe tubes and dropper tubes. The enterprise was the largest in the country in the production of pharmaceutical substances and finished dosage forms from animal raw materials, from which various endocrine drugs were produced. The product range was already then constantly expanded. The products of the Moscow Endocrine Plant have always been in high demand, and their excellent quality was appreciated by the medical community and consumers.
- It is known that many pharmaceutical companies did not survive the reforms of the 1990s, for example, vitamin plants, antibiotic production, etc. What helped the plant to withstand during this period?
- The collapse of the Soviet Union and the erupting economic crisis of the early 1990s could not but influence the work of the enterprise - workshops for processing of animal raw materials were closed, the production of pharmaceutical substances of animal origin was completely stopped. In the country as a whole there has been a degradation of the domestic pharmaceutical industry. The principle prevailed - we will buy everything abroad. Red colour lit up in front of domestic manufacturers, green - in front of foreign manufacturers. At first, they offered substances cheaper, but when Russian plants were ruined, the prices of imported drugs shot up, which we see today.
First of all, our population suffered - the production of the most important drugs turned out to be outside the Russian Federation, including centrally-acting analgesics containing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, which are essential for pain syndrome removal. The organization of their production was entrusted to our plant. In 1994, the enterprise launched the production of these products, thanks to qualified personnel potential and high production culture, despite material and other problems. The significance of this event can hardly be overestimated - in fact, its own production of anaesthetics was created in Russia from scratch.
- How do you rate the enterprise today?
- Our enterprise is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, due to the specifics it is not subject to privatization, and today it is actually the only state-owned manufacturer of drugs in the country. The positions of FSUE Moscow Endocrine Plant at the domestic pharmaceutical market are strong, the enterprise supplies its products to all Russian regions. Four production workshops can produce over 140 million drugs in ampoules, 20 million in vials, over 200 million tablets and capsules, 70 million drugs in dropper tubes, syringe tubes and dropper vials per year. According to the international classification the FSUE Moscow Endocrine Plant belongs to the category of large manufacturers of the pharmaceutical industry. It occupies the top positions in the rating of dynamically developing Russian companies. Currently, the Moscow Endocrine Plant is a modern high-tech production. Innovative programs are being successfully implemented, the most advanced technologies are used. The plant specialists work closely with colleagues from major Russian and foreign research centres.
In our work, the main criterion is the quality of drugs. The enterprise was one of the first in Russia to implement international production and quality control standards - Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Quality control of finished products is provided in accordance with international requirements. The plant nomenclature contains all types of potent analgesics necessary for Russian health care, which makes it possible to meet fully the needs of medical institutions and the pharmacy network in these drugs. Today, more than 70% of anaesthetic drugs in the country are produced at the Moscow Endocrine Plant.
Along with analgesics the enterprise produces a wide range of socially significant drugs used in endocrinology, gynecology, ophthalmology, cardiology and in neuropsychiatric practice. The assortment includes more than 90 types of drugs of eight pharmacological groups, 70 from which belong to the nomenclature of the list of vital and essential drugs approved by the Government of the Russian Federation (Vital and Essential Drugs).
More than 20 drugs produced by the plant are sold at prices below their prime cost. The release of products of this category is an important social function of the plant in the framework of state policy aimed at provision of the availability of drugs for the population, stabilization of prices at the Russian pharmaceutical market. Ultimately, such a policy aims to guarantee national security in the field of drug provision of the country.
- Three quarters of the drugs in our pharmacies are imported. Is it possible to change this ratio?
- This task is not easy - the share of production of domestic drugs in Russia is many times less than in other countries, including China and India. Our task is to develop the innovative production of high-quality drugs. We participate actively in import substitution and pharmaceutical industry development programs developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia. Over the previous year eight new drugs were launched, including four as part of import substitution.
Until 2021, it is planned to introduce the production of more than fifty drugs in 11 pharmacological groups. The reconstruction of the workshop for the production of lyophilic drugs and prefilled syringes has begun. The start of production at new facilities is scheduled for the second quarter of the next year. And in the current year, a separate workshop of domestic drugs in the form of transdermal and transmucosal (topical application) therapeutic systems will be put into operation.
We also decided to restore the lost technology for the production of our own active ingredients from raw materials of animal origin and to expand the range of finished dosage forms in this segment. We hope to restore their industrial production and oust imported analogues from the market in terms of quality and economic indicators. We talk about 9 active pharmaceutical ingredients and 23 drugs, the most significant of which will be the line of heparins.
- How is the personnel problem solved at your enterprise?
- Now the enterprise employs about 850 energetic professional employees, and the average age of employees in recent years has decreased from 54 to 40 years. I note that during the period of the economic crisis, the enterprise not only did not reduce the number of its employees, but also significantly increased its staffing by creation of its own divisions of science and innovative development, introduction of pharmaceutical developments and new dosage forms.
The enterprise has created all the conditions for employees to work in comfortable conditions (modern workshops, laboratories, office premises). Real professionals with a high production culture and a good understanding of the social significance of their work work in the workshops and laboratories of the plant. Initiative, an increased sense of responsibility - these are the main qualities that characterize the employees of the enterprise.
Our team is a fusion of youth and experience. The plant has maintained a long tradition of our team, a mentoring system: experienced workers help young professionals to understand the mysteries of their craft. Great opportunities for career growth are obtained by employees after internships at the best Russian and foreign production sites.
The average wage at the plant grows steadily and amounts to more than 70 thousand roubles, not counting the payment of an annual bonus for achievement of the planned results. There is a system of incentives based on labour results, a number of additional social benefits are provided. We pay special attention to the social protection of employees: a system of subsidized meals is organized, the vehicles of the enterprise deliver personnel to the place of work, and a system of additional non-state pension provision for veterans is introduced.
- How do you see the further development of the enterprise?
- The logic of development requires going beyond one plant. It is planned to create a regional branch for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients from plant and animal raw materials, as well as those obtained by chemical synthesis, active work is being done on the design of technological chains. To organize these works, the enterprise uses its own and borrowed funds.
The enterprise was granted the status of "Industrial Complex", which allows counting upon receiving of preferences for further development, expansion of production and creation of new highly qualified workplaces.
Russian healthcare should be provided with high-quality and available drugs. The staff of the Moscow Endocrine Plant successfully copes with this task.
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