This year's infectious season has turned into an influenza epidemic. In mid -February, 300,000 were sick at the same time. people. Symptoms help to alleviate, for example, given within 48 hours of their occurrence Oseltamivir. Its high availability is very important because the flu leads to serious complications (like pneumonia) and can even end in hospitalization. In the case of seniors and people with weakened immunity, we are even talking about the threat to life.
However, not everyone had a chance to use Oseltamivir in a timely manner. As one of Warsaw's doctors tells us, at some point patients came to her and reported that there is simply no drug in pharmacies. The Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate reported that the sale of the drug She jumped in January 2025 by as much as 335 percent. As a result, it was necessary to react quickly and an additional 180,000 were released to the market. Oseltamivir packaging. Similar amounts are to appear in the following weeks, but first you need to have talks with the European Medicine Agency. However, Poland could better protect itself to such situations, react faster and more effectively, without fear that there will be no Oseltamivir, which can be additionally introduced to the Polish market if the situation got out of control.
Europe has not pulled out a pandemic lesson
During the pandemic, we discovered painfully that European offshoring went too far. – in the last 20-30 years Most of the production of active substances for drugs went from Europe to Asia. And these were not political decisions, we just lost price competition. And this was affected by hiccups – he says for Next.Gazeta.pl Wojciech Maszewski, dyrektor Departamentu Produktów Farmaceutycznych Łukasiewicz. So when Covid-19 came, it turned out that drug safety in Europe was heavily threatened. Manufacturers of ready -made drugs were in place, but they had nothing to produce them because there were no active substances.
Despite this painful lesson, in most European countries, no active substances are produced for massive drugs. And this would allow you to respond better to crises. The majority of production is still taking place on the Asian market. Oseltamivir is produced today mainly in China and India – informs the Institute of Industrial Chemistry from the Łukasiewicz research network (Łukasiewicz – Ichp). “This means that in the epidemic season, when global demand is growing rapidly, suppliers prioritize their own markets, and we, Europeans, stay in a situation where we have to wait … and count on the fact that the medicine will reach time. We don't have so control over availability, prices nor the quality of the substances supplied. This is a huge risk, because when there is a sudden increase in the incidence, every hour counts. If the transport is delayed, the global demand will increase or will come to a sudden epidemic – effective drugs in pharmacies will simply not be ” – we read.
– Availability problems are often, and entities from Asia juggle the prices of active substances – says Wojciech Maszewski. This then leads to such situations in which Poles try to buy flu drugs through social media instead of in a pharmacy, which is the only legal source of sales of prescription drugs.
Poland can quickly start producing Oseltamivir. We already have technology
Łukasiewicz – IchP a few years ago developed a technology for producing Oseltamivir phosphate, and this It gives you the possibility of producing it in Poland on a massive scale. The institute's solution meets the highest pharmaceutical quality standards – we read – which is important because the requirements for active substances used in drugs are extremely stringent: they must have high purity, stability and meet all safety standards.
Łukasiewicz – ICZP has developed a small scale technology, but with the possibility of scale and optimization to industrial conditions in accordance with the principles of good production practice (GMP) within 12-18 months. Wojciech Maszewski assures that if the implementation has already started now, Poland in the next flu season could have its own Oseltamivir. – We guarantee very high European product quality on European technology, with a short supply chain, so without the risk of its interruption – Maszewski told us. Production in Poland means full independence from suppliers from Asia, the availability of active substance for Polish producers, faster access to medicines and their lower prices.
Wojciech Maszewski ensures that the institute's technology allows you to produce a medicine at a competitive price, but there is no chance that the costs will fall by several dozen percent. Nevertheless, our interlocutor emphasizes that this is not about economic issues. “The problem of the availability of antiviral drugs is more serious than it may seem. The lack of Oseltamivir in pharmacies means more hospitalization, the growing burden on the healthcare system and higher costs of treatment of complications. This is a vicious circle that can be interrupted, investing in the national production of API (active substances) ” – informs Łukasiewicz – Ichp.
Our main advantage is primarily that we are a European company on the spot and we can quickly react to such crisis situations as we have, for example, now
– Wojciech Maszewski tells us.
When time counts, local production may be priceless, especially since we offer high European product quality
– adds our interlocutor. He explains that suppliers need to be audited in pharmaceutical production, and in the case of Łukasiewicz – IchP can be done easily and quickly.
To start full -scale production, it is necessary to scale technology and re -validate, adapt to frequently changing guidelines. This, in turn, requires financial outlays and the involvement of business partners and government support.
Maszewski told us that the Institute is conducting talks with both business and and government agencies in order to find financing for the development of Oseltamivir production. He assesses the chances of launching production in the country as real, but he adds that this requires specific actions. – for order: what we do We have, this is the technology of producing active substancesnot a form of ready medicine. We later transfer this active substance to the drug manufacturer – explains Maszewski. He adds that Łukasiewicz – ICHP is conducting talks with a Polish entity in this matter.
Local production of Oseltamivir is not only a matter of security, but also a chance for development Polish economies and creating new jobs – says Maszewski. The Institute of Industrial Chemistry believes that in this way Poland has a chance to take a new place at the pharmaceutical map Europe and become an exporter instead of being an importer.
In 2024, Łukasiewicz – IchP produced 253 297 450 doses of active substances. They have certificates in over 60 countries, including Japan, where the market admission standards are one of the most demanding in the world. There is 10 APIs in the permanent manufacturing cycle, and the next ten are ready to start in production. In addition, the Institute has 19 new molecules for commercialization.