A call for regulation to enable domestic drugs

Turkey has stepped up efforts to increase domestic and national production in the healthcare sector. The scope of ongoing initiatives to reduce foreign dependency in the pharmaceutical industry — particularly in vaccines — has been expanded. Noting that the relevant regulations need to change, Technopol Istanbul Director General Orhan Çömlek said they would work with the government and the responsible authorities to resolve the difficulties stemming from the legislation.

The certification process is long

Emphasizing that Turkey has significant potential in this field, Çömlek noted that there are difficulties causing delays in obtaining certifications such as "CE" and "ISO" in healthcare. Çömlek said: "To remove certain restrictions arising from Turkey's signature in the Customs Union, we are holding discussions with the government and the relevant ministries and presenting reports from competent experts."

The main cost lies in the side effects of chemotherapy

Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Mutlu Demiray noted that Turkey produces domestic vitamin C through a joint project with TÜBİTAK MARTEK, which is used in hospitals. Saying that the principal treatment costs arise when the side effects of chemotherapy appear, Demiray explained: "When chemotherapy and radiotherapy are applied together with vitamin C, the side effects of both decrease and their effectiveness increases markedly." He added that in the USA, adding vitamin C to chemotherapy for elderly pancreatic cancer patients generates over $100 million in economic benefit annually, with a 40 percent reduction in side effects recorded.