Results of last year
Results of last year
The results of the 2023 edition of the international student GxP Fest have just been unveiled. The festival has been the biggest so far: more than 850 people and 106 teams representing 78 universities from Russia, the EAEU and the world took part in the competition.
2023 GxP Fest was held by the Eurasian Academy of Good Practices with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Eurasian Economic Commission, and the State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The event partners included pharmaceutical companies such as R-Pharm, Akrikhin, Natsimbio, Sotex, and Pharmasyntez.
The festival was conducted from 1 March to 21 April 2023. The contest consisted of two stages and included two categories – a team competition and an individual competition – for the first time. The event was open to both Russian and English-speaking students.
To get through the qualification round, students took part in a pharma-battle, i.e. a multidisciplinary professional quiz. It was held online on the Academy’s learning platform on 15 March 2023. A total of 40 teams and 10 independent participants with the best results made it into the finals.
The final round of GxP Fest was conducted in Moscow on 21 April 2023. It featured around 300 pharmacy, biotechnology and chemistry students from Russia, Belarus, Armenia and other countries, joined by teachers, senior managers and HR specialists of leading pharma companies, as well as experts and many more guests from the professional community.
The opening ceremony started with a welcome address by representatives of executive authorities, the Eurasian Economic Commission, the Academy’s leadership and the event partners.
According to Vladislav Shestakov, Director of the State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, GxP Fest has been growing every year, and the young generation is showing increasing interest in the pharmaceutical industry. “Today’s challenges force us to make out-of-the-box decisions. We see that coordinated teamwork side by side with like-minded people brings success. The recent pandemic has demonstrated that we are able to come together and work as a well-oiled machine in a crisis. The goal of GxP Fest is to promote the pharmaceutical industry with students, identifying the most promising ones who will constitute a talent pool for the industry and will later join domestic enterprises. Regardless of all the changes and challenges, our priority remains the same, i.e. ensuring the country’s sustainable drug supply. And quite soon a new generation of professionals will step in to help us tackle this task”.
Dmitry Galkin, Director of the Department for Development of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry, Ministry of Industry and Trade, agrees that pharma is one of the most dynamically growing industries. Over the past 10 years, the size of the pharmaceutical market has indeed quadrupled. “The industry offers a great number of opportunities. And every year, GxP Fest becomes even more exciting. You can see senior managers of large pharma companies at the venue, and it goes to show that this event is not only about the competition but also the creation of a talent pool for the future. Today’s pharma is really multi-faceted, as it incorporates medicine, math, information technology, and law. At the industry’s current stage of development we need a multidisciplinary, comprehensive approach. Thanks to the festival’s interactive format, quality time is guaranteed. It helps get a better look at your future job and its features. For senior students this is a unique chance to showcase their portfolio to pharma companies, and secure an internship for further employment”.
Chinara Mambetaliyeva, Deputy Director at the Department of Technical Regulation and Accreditation of the EEC, believes that current challenges create new possibilities for development across the EAEU, one of the priorities being innovative medicine production. “Professional training and creation of a talent pool with a focus on industrial pharmacy are even more pertinent”, she says. “The Eurasian Academy of Good Practices has taken on a huge responsibility to attract students to industrial pharma and spot talents. Participation in GxP Fest is a great start for successful growth in the industry”.
Liliya Titova, Executive Director at the Union of Professional Pharmaceutical Organizations, sees the most important achievement of GxP Fest not only in expanded geography but also in the quality of the tasks themselves. “At first, it was about assessing the knowledge gained at university. Today, however, the tasks have become more comprehensive, allowing students to demonstrate research skills, out-of-the-box thinking, and a desire to learn more about their future profession. The event is indeed one of its kind”, she points out. “Companies need fresh talent. Pharma is an industry where you cannot just master the knowledge once and for all. It is growing very fast and requires continuous upgrades. We are going through tough times but all this has spurred the development of science and technology. GxP Fest is an opportunity to get to know various branches of pharma better, and choose a trajectory for your future career”.
Tatyana Vyazmina, Quality Director at R-Pharm, emphasizes how much businesses are eager to interact with students. “The festival is changing for the better, adding new formats that are now able yo engage not just students but also teachers, experts and the professional community in general. Getting into the final this year was really hard, which on its own was a serious feat. GxP Fest enables you to take a closer look at pharma and pick the most attractive area for your future career”.
According to Prof. Natalya Pyatigorskaya, Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Head of Industrial Pharmacy Department at the Institute for Professional Education, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, rapidly developing technologies facilitate lifelong education. Knowledge acquisition is paramount for both those who are still at university and those who have already found their feet in their field. “The competition is tough. Whoever possesses knowledge is the creator of tomorrow, of the world around them and of their own happiness”, says Natalya Pyatigorskaya. “At the same time, breakthroughs and discoveries are unattainable without emotions, so we should learn and work passionately. Pharma brings together all those who love it, all those who are interested in the development of science, technology, and new types of treatment. And the youth is the most active, bright and energetic community that is striving to improve the quality of life, and to make it better and more beautiful”.
Ilya Sankov, CEO at Bionika Digital, head of Medvestnik and Pharmvestnik news websites, adds that for today’s students the world is their oyster. “Those who decide to commit themselves to pharma will not be bored”, he is convinced. “Today, we are tackling import substitution. But an even more ambitious task is to build our export potential, join international markets, and occupy a significant share of Asian, African, South and Central American markets”.
The leader of the 2022 GxP Fest winner team, Pharm Power from the Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical University, was also invited to the opening ceremony. Uliana Nogaeva shared her team’s career success stories over the past year and noted that their victory had unlocked new possibilities, becoming a major stepping stone for them.
Prof. Irina Spichak, Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Head of the Eurasian Academy of Good Practices, spoke on behalf of the 2023 GxP Fest organizers. She congratulated all the contest finalists, and highlighted the international participation in particular. This year’s edition of the festival was joined by students from the EAEU states and beyond, including India, Egypt, Morocco, and Syria. Special thanks for their contribution to 2023 GxP Fest and support went to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the universities and the leadership of pharmaceutical companies that were present at the ceremony. “For many young people, meeting senior managers of well-known pharma companies might prove game-changing, as it will create an even greater interest in the industry, set a trajectory for further growth in their area, and help tune in to success. We are equally glad to let the businesses see what amazing students are out there, what creative, talented and knowledgeable youth we have. And if the industry gets this new breath of life, I am convinced that it will have a great future”.
The welcome address was followed by Pharma's Future Is My Future!, the first industry meeting bringing together pharma students, representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and CEOs of the largest pharma companies. Students got a unique chance to engage in an open dialog with renowned experts and industry leaders, and get insightful answers to their questions firsthand.
Dmitry Galkin, Director of the Department for Development of the Pharmaceutical and Medical Industry, Ministry of Industry and Trade, was asked about the domestic pharma’s achievements that we could be proud of. As an example, Dmitry Galkin cited the successful anti-COVID-19 measures. Russia produces all the required medicines that are recommended to treat coronavirus. As for the sanctions, fortunately, healthcare and pharma are on the whole not subject to restrictions in terms of products. However, with the soaring logistics costs, there have been some manufacturing issues. Certain raw materials and facilities need to be replaced. And any kind of independence, in his view, comes with a cost. “We could do everything on our own but the question is, is it worth it from the economic point of view? Pharma is all about cooperation and balancing your own solutions and technologies with the existing production chains”, explained Dmitry Galkin.
When asked about the challenges that enterprises face when setting up new production, Vladislav Shestakov, Director of the State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, replied that the recipe for success is in proper pharma engineering, an expertly built team and a well-balanced product portfolio.
Vadim Yatsuk, CEO at Sotex, brought up the problem of retaining fresh talent at pharma enterprises, which are not all located in Moscow, but rather in its region or elsewhere in the country. He believes that regional authorities should pay more attention to building social infrastructure in small towns so that young people working in pharma manufacturing would feel comfortable enough to stay there.
Answering a question about the most important element at a pharma enterprise, Andrey Zagorsky, CEO at Rostec’s Natsimbio, said there should be a balance of interests. “On the one hand, sales managers are really important since they are the people who bring in the money. On the other hand, you cannot do without production because when there is no product, there is nothing to be sold. At the same time, quality assurance is key, as you can only sell quality produce. It all speaks for the fact that the most important is the consumer, for whose sake all this is in place”, he summed up.
Rustem Muratov, CEO at Binnopharm Group, shared his thoughts about the viability of developing your own medicines and pharmaceutical substances. “It is all up to the economy. The key here is the scope. Russia occupiesm about 2% of the global market, or 3–3,5% if you add the EAEU. Developing an innovative drug might take about 10 years and cost a billion dollars. So the process is slow and costly, and it will only pay back if your market is big enough. Talking about pharmaceutical substances, it is a business of its own kind, which lies at the nexus of pharmacy and chemistry. It calls for people with special skills. Setting up this kind of production from scratch is really hard and does not often make economic sense. In its time, this was what India went through, and in a way this is what China is experiencing now. And this is what the future might hold for Russia as well”.
Vasily Ignatyev, CEO at R-Pharm, identified the main priorities of the Pharma–2030 program. First of all, this strategy aims to provide the healthcare system and consumers with quality medicines of due amount and range, ensure import substitution, as well as build export potential of the domestic pharma. “We are focusing on innovation, and in 5 to 7 years will be actively joining the international markets. Complete independence from imports is barely feasible. If we set this task, it can be solved in theory, but it is hardly worth it”, he believes. Vasily Ignatyev was also asked about the skillset a future pharma professional should have. He named four key characteristics: a solid scientific base, open-mindedness, flexibility and adaptivity to changes, and self-discipline.
Long after the session was over, students were still asking questions, reluctant to let the experts go. The speakers were glad to oblige and did not hurry to leave, however busy they might have been. The official part thus turned into face to face conversation in an informal setting.
The 2023 GxP-Fest offered even more opportunities for students to interact with pharma companies. An expo area with company stands where you could browse through job openings and internships and learn more about prerequisites and employment opportunities was particularly popular.
The second half of the last day of GxP Fest featured a series of workshops by ISPE, Akrikhin, R-Pharm, Sotex, GEN Pharma Rus, and Pharmasyntez. In an exclusive session held by the State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices, the experts talked about Russian pharmaceutical inspectorate and pharma inspector training. The workshops attracted a lot of attention and took the audience by storm.
Teachers were not left behind either. They were able to attend a special tutorial on the innovative VR Pharma Factory for Universities training facility, a new solution developed by the Academy in collaboration with the State Institute of Drugs and Good Practices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. It offers an immersive learning experience in a simulated production environment where students can hone their professional skills.
The final round featured GxP Quest for student teams and independent participants. In this interactive game, they had to solve field-specific problems and overcome various obstacles and challenges on a special play area. The unique software for this game was developed at the Academy. The players were able to demonstrate their knowledge, resourcefulness and effective teamwork. The teams which required minimum time to complete all the tasks with the least demerit points won the game.
1st prize - the Devochki team from Yaroslavl State Medical University
2nd prize – the GGirlsP team from Vyatka State University
3rd prize – the Rubicon team from Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical University
The winners among independent participants were:
1st prize – Darya Devyatkina
2nd prize – Sofya Smirnova
3rd prize – Dmitry Druzhininsky.
The international participants were honored separately:
1st prize - Tameloucht Achraf Sym (Morocco)
2nd prize – Abdelkarim Elmantagui (Morocco)
3rd prize – Dabae Sandy Adel (Egypt).
The 2023 GxP Fest award ceremony was followed by a tour around Moscow for the students.
All in all, the organization was first class, and the event has left a lasting impression both with the students and with the industry experts. Everybody agrees that this year’s festival has gone smoothly, offering unique opportunities for new meetings, interaction and experience exchange.