Kazakhstan's Drug Industry: Billions Spent, Little to Show For It

Kazakhstan's Pharmaceutical Sector Underperforms Despite Billions in Funding Kazakhstan's pharmaceutical sector is facing criticism despite receiving substantial government funding. Prime Minister Alihan Smailov recently revealed that only two original domestic drugs have been registered in the last 10 years, highlighting the inefficiency of the system. This is despite 58 billion tenge being allocated to the development of medical science between 2022 and 2024. Smailov noted the lack of a registration system for biomedical research and a unified list of clinical bases as major obstacles. He further criticized the current system for regulating drug prices, stating that it fails to ensure affordability and reasonable pricing for citizens. "The markup price in the market has reached up to 172%, while this figure stands at 35% for drugs purchased with budget funds," Smailov said. The government's efforts to support the pharmaceutical industry through preferences totaled 148 billion tenge during this period, according to the Supreme Audit Chamber. This situation underscores the need for reform and increased efficiency in the sector to improve the availability and affordability of medicines for the Kazakhstani population.