Heading a delegation of Iranian health officials, Minister of Health Seyyed Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi arrived in Moscow last Wednesday for a two-day visit to survey opportunities for bilateral cooperation in medical and pharmaceutical fields.
On Thursday, the two sides signed 11 memorandums of understanding in a wide range of areas, including research, vaccines, marketing for exports, medical equipment and technology, joint production of drugs and registration of Iranian medicines in Russia by the private sectors of the two sides.
"The Russian medicine and medical equipment market is worth $24 billion annually, 80% of which are supplied by imports. This gives Tehran and Moscow a promising opportunity for cooperation," Hashemi said in a meeting with his Russian counterpart Veronika Skvortsova later in the day.
On Wednesday, the production line for Iranian-made medicine Fingolimod, which can help treat flare-ups related to multiple sclerosis, was launched in Saint Petersburg and not Moscow that was mentioned mistakenly.
According to an agreement reached by the two sides, Iran will transfer the knowhow for the production of the drug's raw material, which is to be produced in Russia on par with international standards. The product is to be sold in Russia as well as in other world markets.
