The
Azerbaijan Diabetes Society
(ADS) opposes plans to construct a new insulin production facility in the Pirallahi industrial park.
In October 2017, Azerbaijan Investment Company and the Ukrainian company Indar signed a 17m dollar memorandum of mutual understanding on the construction of an insulin factory in Azerbaijan.
The president of ADS, Ms Mominat Omarova, said that representatives of Ukrainian diabetes organizations have been criticising the low quality of insulin produced by Indar.
In an
interview
with the Baku-based newspaper Ekho, Omarova stated: “Indar insulin is reportedly recognized in Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Yemen and Syria. I contacted my counterparts in Moldova about this, and they confirmed that Indar insulin was indeed certified there and available in pharmacies. It is, however, not prescribed by physicians. They mostly rely on insulin manufactured by the world’s top three producers, Novo Nordisk, Eli-Lilly and Sanofi. The answer I got from Kazakhstan was that Indar had been keen on making it to their market but was denied entry. 90% of patients there receive insulin made by the three above-listed companies. Representatives of diabetes organizations in Russia told me they did not have insulin produced by Indar in their country. The answer I received from Kyrgyzstan was that Indar had also tried to enter their market but did not succeed there either.”
She further pointed out: “This year, Indar’s profits in Ukraine have declined sevenfold. Judge for yourselves – what profit could this insulin generate in Azerbaijan?”
Omarova explained that treating domestic patients with insulin produced in Azerbaijan could only have a negative impact on their health. “Transitioning from one type of insulin to another can sometimes trigger negative physical reaction. Today’s economic gains may well turn into the problems of tomorrow for diabetes patients,” she said.
There are currently more than 240,000 diabetes patients in Azerbaijan, 1,500 of whom are minors.
