Sandoz is a global leader in generic medicines and biosimilars, whose products are currently used by more than 500 million people in over 100 countries. off patent medicines, generic drugs and biosimilars, make up some 80% of all drugs used worldwide, at only about 25% of the total cost
Simply said, biosimilars are the ‘successors’ of biological drugs for which the patent and exclusive right to manufacture has expired, says Nikola Mikašinović to CorD and adds: “They are used to treat a wide range of diseases. They are produced and act in the same way as the reference medicines, meeting the criteria in terms of quality, safety and efficacy. Due to their more affordable prices, biosimilars make high quality therapy available to a larger number of patients.
Sandoz is present in Serbia with biosimilars in 6 therapeutic areas: gastroenterology, haematology, nephrology, rheumatology, endocrinology and oncology. The active ingredients in generic drugs are identical to those in their reference products. We can freely say that generic drugs are the key to the sustainability of health systems”.
Sandoz recently split from Novartis after two decades operating under the same roof. We’d like to congratulate you on your new start and ask you to explain this separation.
— Thank you! At the beginning of October, Sandoz became an independent company with its shares listed on the Swiss stock exchange, marking the successful completion of the separation from Novartis. It is the beginning of a new era for us. However, our focus remains the same, to make high quality medicines available to as many people as possible. Given Sandoz’ long history and this latest change, we like to make a joke that we are the ‘oldest new’ pharmaceutical company in the world.
Sandoz exists since 1886, and it is a very rich heritage. I’ll mention just a few of our pioneering scientific discoveries: for example, the discovery of the first oral penicillin in 1951, which completely changed the way patients are treated, the first recombinant interferon alpha in 1980 and of course the first biosimilar drug in the world in 2006. One interesting piece of information for our country – Linex probiotic, which is registered as a drug (OTC), which means that it has proven safety and effectiveness, was first registered in Belgrade back in 1982. Nowadays, Linex is available to patients in over the 30 countries all around the world..
The end of the year was marked at Sandoz by the separation and start of independent business, and the beginning of the year by the formation of the new Western Balkans region, which you lead. What were your ambitions and plans when starting this important stage of your business?
— Our purpose is a very important one, that’s why the ambition is big, both globally and locally. Balkan markets outside the EU have a number of differences, but even more similarities. The challenges of helathcare systems, from the budget to the availability of medicines, are similar, as are the efforts of the profession, doctors, pharmacists and helathcare institutions to overcome these challenges and help patients. We also share a desire to improve the environment and the quality of life. Together we can do much more and I am very proud that connecting the region has already begun to produce results. We have big plans for the future.