December, 23th, 2019, Moscow – Servier, an international pharmaceutical company, has announced the launch of the state project for labelling and tracking of medicines (Track&Trace) on SERVIER RUS industrial complex in Moscow.  The project was launched ahead of schedule established by the legislation, and the first batches of labelled drugs will be produced in December 2019.    

In 2017, a state pilot project aimed to control the movement of drugs was carried out to prevent production and trafficking of counterfeit medicines on the Russian market: each package is to be labelled with a unique bar code that allows to control the movement of drugs from the manufacturer to pharmacies and medical establishments. Each citizen will get an opportunity to check the information on the manufacturer, production date and time, and, thus, to verify the authenticity of the medicines in the market. Servier was one of the first companies to participate in the Track&Trace project in the pilot mode.

A two-stage technical modernization of packaging lines was carried out and specialized equipment to apply and verify the crypto-protected Data Matrix code was installed at the SERVIER RUS production site located in Moscow.

In addition to the equipment installation on all production lines, a comprehensive IT architecture was developed specifically for the project: a number of information systems were implemented, testing and validation were carried out according to internal rules and GxP regulations, documentation describing new business processes was prepared, and employee training was performed. The company has used technical and IT solutions that had been applied earlier in the similar projects at Servier production sites in other countries. At the same time, the Russian affiliate adjusted those systems and introduced local solutions to meet the requirements of the Russian legislation. Today, the Track&Trace project is one of Servier’s key priorities, with its new ecosystems of production, information solutions and distribution.

"Servier’s readiness to launch Track&Trace system is an example of how the company successful applies its international experience in product labeling and tracing, that was already implemented on Servier’s Russian plant and which helped to complete the project ahead of schedule. We can see that other leading pharmaceutical manufacturers  are also ready to release commercial batches. Pro-active position of the manufacturers will allow the supply chain to work with the labelled production as early as the beginning of January”, - says Dmitry ALKHAZOV, General Manager of CRPT.

“The importance of the implementation of Track&Trace system can hardly be overestimated. This is a major contribution to the distribution chain transparency from the manufacturer to the end user, as well as to the development of fair competition in the pharmaceutical market.

We were among the first pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to support this significant state initiative, and we are proud to launch the Track&Trace system at our production site ahead of schedule. Today more than 95% of Servier Russia portfolio is produced at Servier RUS on a full cycle”,- commented Jérôme Gavet, Managing Director of Servier in Russia and EAEU

Servier has a great experience with labelling and tracking systems. Back in 2011, the company introduced its own SecuriStamp monitoring system: the packages are labelled with unique identification codes, providing an opportunity to verify the authenticity of products. This system has proven its effectiveness ─ since 2011 there have been no cases of circulation of falsified Servier drugs in Russia. Currently, SecuriStamp has been supplemented with Track&Trace system, providing patients in Russia and the EAEU countries with the access to original, high-quality and effective medicines.

About Servier

Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation, with its headquarters in France (Suresnes). With a strong international presence in 149 countries and a turnover of 4.2 billion euros in 2018, Servier employs 22,000 people worldwide. Entirely independent, the Group reinvests 25% of its turnover (excluding generics) in research and development and uses all its profits for development. Corporate growth is driven by Servier’s constant search for innovation in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular, immune-inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and diabetes, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Servier also offers eHealth solutions beyond drug development.

More information: www.servier.com

About Servier Russia

Servier has been operating in Russia for more than 25 years remaining one of the leading pharmaceutical companies. In 1999 an R&D center was established in Moscow.  In 2007, a full-cycle pharmaceutical plant Servier RUS was launched in Moscow, meeting all international requirements and good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards and producing a wide range of modern original medicines for Russian citizens. Today more than 90% of medications in Russia are fully produced according to full cycle. Since 2012 export deliveries to the EAEU countries are being carried out.

More information: www.servier.ru

About CRPT

In December 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the resolution of the Government for the creation of a Unified national track & trace digital system by 2024 based at the Center for Research in Perspective Technologies (CRPT).

CRPT is a joint project of USM (Peter-service, 50%), Rostec State Corporation (Avtomatika Concern, 25%) and Elvis-Plus Group (25%).

This combination of shareholders makes it possible to unite industrial resources, experience in implementing large-scale transformation projects, expertise in the sphere of cryptology and in servicing hundreds of thousands of customers, and technical support. Moreover, the financial capabilities of the shareholders facilitate the localization and production of equipment in amounts sufficient for the market.

The track & trace system being created by the Centre, known as Chestny ZNAK, makes it possible to effectively combat counterfeit and contraband goods and protects legal businesses and brands of bona fide manufacturers and consumers.

Thanks to the introduction of a track & trace digital system, legal businesses will receive protection from counterfeit goods, while their good names on the market will eliminate risks to reputation due to low-quality products being sold under their brands.

More information: https://chestnyznak.ru/en