KYIV. July 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The relaxation of the registration of imported medicines will not result in the decline in their prices, but it gives a signal to international pharmaceutical manufacturers that positive changes are seen on the Ukrainian pharmaceutical market, participants of the roundtable held at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday said.

"The relaxed registration of some medicines made in some countries will influence the market and push prices downwards, at least, today. This is only a first signal that there is political will [to settle the situation on the pharmaceutical market] and that if there is a good idea and it should be implemented as soon as possible," European Business Association (EBA) HCC Registration Subcommittee Head Angela Kupych said.

In turn, Healthcare Policy Office at the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine Maxim Proskurov said that this should have been done earlier, but the facilitation of the registration does not solve all issues.

"This is only the start of big work to settle the issues. This is only a trailhead. The relaxation of the registration does not mean that all issues on the pharmaceutical market are resolved," he said.

President of the Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association in Ukraine (IPMA) Dr. Ramanan Menon said that the relaxation of the registration and the price formation are different things.

"We do not know how the relaxation will be carried out. We have not seen bylaws. We only know that the law relaxing the registration has been passed," he said.

The experts who represent the interests of foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers said that the mechanisms that would influence the reformation of the healthcare system in general should be introduced to see the prices falling. In particular, the reimbursement mechanisms should be created, and legislative documents enabling to use the new rules should be updated.

"The relaxation of the registration will not push prices down. We are talking about drugs which were not in Ukraine at all,"

"Mechanisms used all over the world – reimbursement and insurance medicine – should start working in Ukraine. They guarantee the market volume for manufacturers and encourage cuts in prices," Proskurov said.

The experts said that the facilitation of the registration would help to improve investment climate and develop the Ukrainian pharmaceutical sector.

"This is a signal that says that we are improving investment climate. The more signals we give the larger opportunities we would open for new production in Ukraine," Kupych said.

Dr. Menon said that this positive signal could help to develop projects to make foreign manufacturers' goods at Ukrainian production sites.

"National manufacturers should be supported for the development of any sector. The base inside the country should be prepared to integrate to Europe or the global market. This can be done only thanks to support of local manufacturers. Favorable investment climate is needed for the Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturers," the expert said.

Proskurov said that at present global pharmaceutical manufacturers do not discuss local production of their goods at Ukrainian facilities.