The Russian invasion of Ukraine last month was castigated by the whole world and by many pharma companies who not only donated funds and medicines but also vowed to restrict business with Russia.
The chief, Andrey Tolmachov of the Ukrainian company Enamine Pharmaceuticals suggests the assistance shouldn’t stop at monetary funding.
Andrey Tolmachov is the founder and CEO of Enamine which supplies key chemicals to drug manufacturers. In a statement issued on Saturday, he said that the life sciences sector must extend its support for Ukraine on three tiers.
First, drug manufacturers should influence NATO to close the skies over Ukraine as was suggested by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. NATO has, as of yet, refused this request. Secondly, some major biotech leaders share the opinion that the industry should cut off all ties with Russia. Finally, pharmaceutical companies should continue aiding Ukraine by supplying funds and medicines.
Tolmachov believes that all the monetary funding, weapons, and medicines received by Ukraine from all over the world are not enough in their fight against Russia. He added that the other European nations were afraid of direct conflict with Russia which is why they were unwilling to close the Ukrainian skies.
He strongly encouraged drugmakers to use their connections and government contacts to persuade NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine. According to Tolmachov, this strategy would not only ensure the safety of thousands of precious lives and the preservation of infrastructure but also will be helpful in halting the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, NATO has been unwilling to establish a no-fly zone area over Ukraine as this step could make them an alliance into the war.
The CEO urged that the industry must also commit to ” the entire isolation of Russia”.
The CEO narrated , “Nowadays we see real solidarity of the whole world to cancel or stop any economic, cultural, technological, financial connections with Russia and we urge the same from the drug discovery community”.
According to the Enamine CEO, all projects, partnerships, and collaborations should come to a standstill with Russian companies and organizations until the end of the conflict. Tolmachov said, “The sooner the country is isolated, the sooner the war will end.”
Tolmachov added that as Russia waged a cruel war in Ukraine, the assets of Enamine Pharmaceuticals and the knowledge and expertise of its chemists had come under threat to be destroyed.
Local clinical trials are being affected due to war causing havoc across the biopharma industry. Ascendis Pharma added that the war could scuttle the readout for a phase 3 study of an adult growth hormone deficiency treatment.
Tricidia on Thursday delayed a readout for a late-stage chronic kidney disease prospect from the third to the fourth quarter. The company reported that 15% of Tricidia trial’s patients were residents of Ukraine.
As per Tolmachov, Enamine supplies more than 70% of the world’s reserve of essential chemical ingredients and reagents. The CEO further added that Enamine and other Ukrainian companies like Life Chemicals and Otava Chemicals are some of the paramount suppliers to the world’s chemical screening compounds with more than 50% of molecules coming from Ukraine.
Tolmachov isn’t the only one in favor of the isolation of Russia by the biopharma industry.
Other biotech leaders have expressed in a letter that immediate and complete economic disengagement of the biopharma industry from Russia is of utmost importance. Chief executives at Nkarta, BioMarin, Rubius, atai Life Sciences, Blueprint Medicines, Ovid, Global Blood Therapeutics, and dozens of others signed the letter, pledging to stop investments in Russian companies and new investments within the country’s borders, among other commitments.
All drug manufacturers, whether big or small, have held their hands together for the Ukrainian cause in recent days. AstraZeneca, Bristol, Myers Squibb, Pfizer, and Novo Nordisk helped the cause monetarily whereas Roche and Sanofi are supplying Ukraine with important medicines.
