Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug Givinostat to arrive in Georgia next week, Health Minister

The medication Givinostat, intended for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), is expected to arrive in Georgia early next week, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs Mikheil Sarjveladze said on Friday.

He stressed preparations have been carried out in cooperation with Italian pharmaceutical company Italfarmaco, the manufacturer of Givinostat, to ensure that the medication can be introduced into clinical practice as quickly as possible.

“We have received the air waybill confirming that Givinostat has already been shipped to Georgia, which confirms that the medication will be in Tbilisi at the beginning of next week,” Sarjveladze said.

He said the ministry, in cooperation with Italfarmaco, had completed a number of preparatory measures, including the precise registration of patient data, the establishment of a dedicated patient registry, approval of the relevant procedures and training of doctors by foreign specialists.

“Everything is ready for the use of the medication to begin in real-world practice as quickly as possible,” the minister said.

Sarjveladze also thanked Italfarmaco for its cooperation and said Georgia would highlight the partnership at upcoming international events focused on medicines for rare diseases.

He called on parents whose children may require the medication and who have not recently contacted the relevant authorities to call the Ministry of Health hotline at 15 05 for consultations on the details of accessing and using the medication.