Hungarian pharma giants may launch medicine production in Uzbekistan

In an interview with the “Uzbekistan 24” TV channel, Azizov stated that agreements have been reached with the three Hungarian companies to launch contract manufacturing, localize production, and attract investments.

One of Hungary’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, Gedeon Richter, which currently supplies Uzbekistan with $36 million worth of pharmaceuticals annually, is expected to begin production under contract in Uzbekistan. The company’s annual output globally stands at $2 billion.

“In the first phase, we plan to start with the production of five types of medicines. Later, we intend to review our clinical protocols and introduce new types of drugs. As a result, we aim to expand the production of Gedeon Richter’s products in Uzbekistan,” Azizov said.

Another company that has reached an agreement with Uzbekistan is Egis Pharmaceuticals, whose export volume to the country amounts to approximately $6–7 million. Egis supplies more than 30 types of medicines to Uzbekistan. Plans are in place to set up contract manufacturing operations with this company as well.

Uzbekistan has also been in negotiations for a year with another Hungarian pharmaceutical producer, Meditop Pharmaceutical. The company intends to localize production and has already registered 16 types of medicines in Uzbekistan. In parallel, market research is being conducted to assess demand. If the results are positive, Meditop will begin manufacturing at the Tashkent Pharma Park cluster.

In August 2023, Meditop CEO Zoltán Ács announced the company’s plans to build a plant in Tashkent or Tashkent region, with estimated investments ranging from $20 million to $50 million.