The Polish Medical Research Agency (ABM) has announced the results of the ABM/2026/1 call for proposals for the development of innovative pharmaceutical forms, generics and biosimilars. Six projects will receive funding totalling nearly PLN 77 million. The initiative is intended to address demographic challenges and reduce the country’s dependence on global supply chains.
The application period ran from 17 February to 21 April 2026. During this time, 23 applications were submitted, 19 of which qualified for substantive evaluation. Ultimately, six projects were recommended for funding, with a total allocation of PLN 76,940,735.50.
The funding comes from a targeted subsidy provided by the Ministry of Health.
Project implementation
The selected projects were submitted by four leading organisations in Poland’s pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors: Celon Pharma S.A. (two projects), Adamed Pharma S.A. (two projects), Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma S.A. and Synektik Pharma Sp. z o.o.
The research and development projects may run for up to eight years (96 months). Commercialisation was a key requirement of the call: medicinal products resulting from the projects must enter production and reach the market within a maximum of five years of project completion.
Strengthening medicine security
Currently, only 30% of medicines sold in Polish pharmacies are produced domestically. The competition aims to change this proportion and strengthen Poland’s independence from foreign suppliers. This is particularly important in the context of demographic challenges: 25% of Poles are already over 60, and it is estimated that by the middle of the 21st century, older people will account for as much as 40% of the population. This is expected to significantly increase demand for medicines used to treat lifestyle-related diseases.
The Medical Research Agency’s activities are aligned with the objectives of the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, which emphasises the need to build capacity to meet demand for medicines during crises. They are also consistent with the National Clinical Research Development Plan for 2020–2030, which aims to stimulate the development of commercial clinical trials in Poland, and the Government Biomedical Sector Development Plan for 2022–2031.
What are the selected projects about?
The funded projects aim to improve patients’ access to therapies at significantly lower prices. Introducing more affordable alternatives to original medicines – including therapies that may previously have been unavailable in Poland – could enable more people to receive modern treatment. The projects are intended to combine cost-efficiency for the healthcare system with practical benefits for patients, including easier medicine administration and improved treatment adherence.
- Production of a modern biological medicine used to treat lung cancer and melanoma, among other conditions (Celon Pharma S.A.). The domestic medicine could generate annual savings of PLN 300–400 million for the public payer. These savings could make it possible to fund life-saving treatment for thousands of additional patients without increasing National Health Fund (NFZ) expenditure.
- Development of a Polish equivalent of a popular obesity medicine (Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma S.A.). The use of a reusable pen could reduce treatment costs and significantly decrease plastic waste.
- Development of a product for precise diagnostics using positron emission tomography (PET) (Synektik Pharma Sp. z o.o.). Once introduced to the Polish pharmaceutical market, it could be used to diagnose conditions including Parkinson’s disease, congenital hyperinsulinism and neuroendocrine tumours.
- Two combination-medicine projects (Adamed Pharma S.A.). These involve combining three medicines in a single tablet for cholesterol reduction and developing a combination inhaler for asthma. The approach is intended to make treatment easier for patients and help them avoid errors in their daily medication routines.
- Development of a biological medicine for patients with severe psoriasis and arthritis (Celon Pharma S.A.). The treatment is intended to help patients manage their conditions and live without constant pain.
List of projects recommended for funding
- SimOn 2.0 – Development of a biosimilar anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody for use in cancer immunotherapy to increase medicine security in Poland (Celon Pharma S.A.; application no. 2026/ABM/01/00021).
- Development and confirmation of the bioequivalence of a generic medicine from the GLP-1 receptor agonist group for the treatment of obesity (Zakłady Farmaceutyczne Polpharma S.A.; application no. 2026/ABM/01/00007).
- SABINA – Increasing medicine security through the development and implementation of a technology for producing the active substance and medicinal product: a biosimilar anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody used to treat autoimmune diseases dependent on Th17 lymphocytes (Celon Pharma S.A.; application no. 2026/ABM/01/00019).
- Development and clinical confirmation of the efficacy, safety and bioavailability of an innovative three-component medicinal product for the treatment of lipid disorders (Adamed Pharma S.A.; application no. 2026/ABM/01/00004).
- Design and development of a generic medicine – a radiopharmaceutical product containing the active substance 6-[18F]fluorolevodopa for PET diagnostics (Synektik Pharma Sp. z o.o.; application no. 2026/ABM/01/00003).
- Technological development, clinical demonstration of bioequivalence and implementation of a three-component, complex, next-generation generic inhaled medicine for the maintenance treatment of respiratory diseases, including asthma (Adamed Pharma S.A.; application no. 2026/ABM/01/00005).
