Diaverum enters Russian market in partnership with Unona Holding
Ufa / Munich, 14 May 2013 – Diaverum, one of the world´s largest independent renal care providers, and Unona Holding, a Russian producer and distributor of medical equipment for haemodialysis, today announced the inauguration of a first joint clinic in Ufa, in the Republic of Bashkortostan. At present there is a waiting list for dialysis treatment and a lack of dialysis facilities in this area as in all of Russia. By entering the Russian market, Diaverum is adding the 18th country to its global network throughout Europe, Latin America, Australia and the Middle East and is further strengthening its position in Eastern Europe. Local staff, patients and payers will benefit from high standards of clinical excellence, thorough internal and external audits, accredited training programmes and a ‘patient first’ approach.
Veronica Bard Bringeus, Swedish Ambassador in Russia highlighted: “The Diaverum concept in Ufa is not only a good example of Russian-Swedish business cooperation. We also see it as a successful model for individual medical care . We hope that time will prove that Diaverum is correct in its assumption.”
Oleg Levkovskiy, Managing Director Diaverum Russia, commented on the event of the clinic inauguration: “Our aim is to revitalise renal patients through the provision of first-class renal care with the highest quality and safety standards in Russia. As a product-independent renal care provider we can focus completely on the physical and emotional well-being of our patients, thus improving their quality of life. Unona is an excellent partner for us due to their extensive network and experience in the Russian market. The dialysis centre in Ufa will be established in accordance with Russian and international standards, with the maximum use of Russian technology acknowledged by the international experts.”
Alexander Petrov, CEO Unona Holding, said his company is excited to be working with Diaverum. “Diaverum is a very professional renal care provider with broad international experience and an exceptional patient-focused approach. Together we will extend the life span for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease and bring treatment as close as possible to them.” The first clinic is situated in Ufa, a city of more than one million inhabitants in the Republic of Bashkortostan in Russia and one of the largest cities in Russia.
The need for renal replacement therapy is increasing steadily across the globe. 600 million people worldwide are suffering from kidney diseases. The number of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is close to 3 million globally and is estimated to reach 4 million in the early 2020s. For ESRD patients, the only alternative treatments are lifelong dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Commenting on the market entry in Russia, Dag Andersson, CEO and President of Diaverum, said: “We want to give patients with renal failure a better chance of high quality care close to their homes, which is essential for a successful dialysis treatment. To achieve this, we are planning to set up a network of dialysis centres in the Republic of Bashkortostan together with Unona.”