TSMU Students learned the essentials of pharmaceutical company operation

During summer break students of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Ternopil State Medical University Anna Sandulovych and Nazar Lysiuk visited the Ukrainian office of Servier, the first independent French pharmaceutical company. They have received this opportunity when they demonstrated a good level of knowledge on pharmaceutical Olympiads. The delegation also included representatives of higher education institutions from Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia and Kharkiv.

Servier has more than 21,000 employees worldwide, including 3,000 scientists who are developing next generation of medications. In 2015 the company invested 24% of its income in research and development of new drugs. Currently Servier has in its development portfolio 23 chemical compounds targeting areas such as oncology, cardiovascular disease, endocrinology, psychiatry and rheumatology.

“We really enjoyed the trip. Visits like this provide an opportunity to understand better our chosen profession, and to see directions for career advancement. It was interesting to get familiarized with the work of professionals and see how they comply with Ukrainian regulations on work organization and storage. The drugs for Ukraian market are being produced on France and Ireland factories, “- said Nazar Lysiuk.

Anna Sandulovych added that they also had an opportunity to meet and have a conversation with the CEO of the company. “We had presentations from representatives of quality control and monitoring departments. They shared with us that they started their careers as medical representatives. For me especially interesting was the presentation about the work of pharmacology monitoring department. I was surprised to learn that many people call them to report adverse or side effects. Department employees respond to all the calls, officially register every inquiry, and send these documents to France. This is followed by an analysis of why certain reaction has occurred and by required drafting of conclusions. This is a comprehensive approach and everyone takes this responsibility seriously. “- shared her impressions Anna.

Nazar added that the company plans to introduce on the Ukrainian market new drugs, particularly for treating cancer. These medicines will be manufactured using nanotechnology. “The capsule will be implanted in the body so that the medication will be released for the entire year. The nanoparticles will fight cancer cells. This type of medicine will be introduced to Ukraine in 2017. This is a promising technology, “- said Nazar Lysiuk.

Both students will complete their studies at TSMU this year. The combination of theoretical knowledge and practical skills they continue to acquire will undoubtedly benefit their future careers.