Polpharma Santo launches exports of Kazakhstan-made medicines to EU
After several years of preparation and obtaining European certification, the Polpharma Santo plant in Shymkent has entered the European Union market. The first batch of 7,800 packages of Kazakhstan-made sitagliptin has been shipped to Bulgaria, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The ceremony was attended by Shymkent Mayor Gabit Syzdykbekov and representatives of government agencies, the medical community and the company.
Sitagliptin 100 mg is used to treat type 2 diabetes. Production in Shymkent is part of a program to develop medicines for the domestic market and export.
The first shipment followed several years of preparation involving around 500 specialists. The company upgraded production lines, introduced European quality control requirements and passed the necessary inspections.
In 2025, the plant received EU GMP certification, becoming, according to the company, the first pharmaceutical company in Central Asia to confirm compliance with this standard in production.
“This is a historic moment, the shipment of the first batch of a Kazakhstan-made medicine to European Union countries. Behind this small package are several years of hard work and the efforts of around 500 people. Preparing for EU GMP certification alone took approximately three years. We were often asked why we were making everything so complicated and investing so much money. Today, we have the answer. A medicine manufactured in Kazakhstan is becoming available to patients in Europe,” said Polpharma Santo CEO Adam Aleksiuk.
The choice of country was determined by demand for sitagliptin and the company’s ability to supply the required volume.
“We started with Bulgaria because there is demand for this medicine there. By this point, we had a product ready that could compete with medicines produced by European manufacturers. Bulgaria will be the first market. Today, we are shipping the first 7,800 packages. Further destinations will depend on participation in tenders and their results. If the project is successfully implemented, even this single medicine could significantly increase Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical exports,” the CEO explained.
The sitagliptin shipment became the first stage of the company’s export program. In January 2026, Polpharma Santo signed an investment contract providing for the production of more than 30 new medicines. The company expects that some of them will also be exported in the future.
The history of pharmaceutical production in Shymkent dates back to 1882, when the city began producing a medicine based on Artemisia cina. In 2011, the plant became part of the international Polpharma Group. Since then, total investment in its modernization has exceeded USD 130 million.
Today, the plant employs around 1,400 people. The company’s portfolio includes more than 380 medicines across 14 therapeutic areas. According to the manufacturer, the plant produces one in every five packages of medicine used in Kazakhstan.
