Kyiv, April 22, 2024. The Heart Institute became a partner of the Academy of Orphan Diseases, initiated by the pharmaceutical company Sanofi with the aim of early diagnosis of rare diseases and raising the educational level of medical workers.
Director of the Heart Institute Prof. Borys Todurov and the head of Sanofi’s rare diseases department in Ukraine, Olena Bushmina, solemnly signed a memorandum on the relevant partnership.

As part of the cooperation, the Institute’s specialists will have access to European diagnostic facilities to be able to identify a rare hereditary disease in Ukrainian patients – Fabry’s disease. These tests will be carried out at a Sanofi partner laboratory in Vienna, Austria. Sanofi will cover logistical and diagnostic costs.

An important component of this partnership is the implementation of an educational program for doctors. It will include educational modules aimed at increasing the awareness of family doctors and other narrow specialists about the general problems of rare diseases, as well as in-depth knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of patients with Fabry’s disease. In addition, it is planned to hold educational seminars and practical master classes for the Institute’s doctors, which will contribute to the deepening of their knowledge in the field of diagnosis of rare diseases.

Prof. Borys Todurov, Director of the Institute: “Cooperation between the Heart Institute and Sanofi is a chance to save even more lives of Ukrainians. After all, thanks to the Academy of Orphan Diseases, we will be able to detect rare diseases in patients in a timely manner. This will make it possible to provide the necessary treatment, reduce the severity of disease manifestations, and improve the quality of life. This is the main goal for us!”.

Olena Bushmina, head of Sanofi’s rare diseases department in Ukraine: “Our constant mission at Sanofi is to improve the quality of life of people who suffer from rare diseases and to find innovative solutions for their treatment. Cooperation with leading specialists from the Heart Institute within the framework of the Academy of Orphan Diseases is an important step forward in improving the diagnosis of rare pathologies, including Fabry’s disease. The value of such innovative partnerships lies in their ability to identify the problem and save lives, especially when rare diseases can have symptoms similar to heart disease.”

Anastasiya Tkachenko, Viktoriya Mylnychuk, and Liliya Tkachenko also took part in the signing ceremony.