Association Staff · Tashkent, Uzbekistan
The World Bank Group’s Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) for Uzbekistan, published in July 2026, names pharmaceuticals — alongside logistics and tourism — as one of three sectors with particularly strong potential for additional private investment and skilled job creation, as part of a broader reform agenda the report estimates could unlock over 300,000 jobs nationwide.
On pharmaceuticals specifically, the report finds that targeted reforms to streamline drug registration and establish domestic bioequivalence laboratories could unlock up to $188 million in investment and more than 20,000 skilled jobs. It identifies generics and dietary supplements as sub-sectors with strong private investment potential, driven by rising domestic and regional demand, and recommends establishing accredited bioequivalence laboratories, further aligning Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards with international benchmarks, enforcing active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) documentation requirements, and streamlining drug registration.
These findings track closely with the Association’s own market assessment. Uzbekistan has already begun acting on parts of this agenda — a national GMP certification requirement took effect January 1, 2026 — and the CPSD’s recommendations on bioequivalence labs and registration reform are squarely within the Association’s scope of work on regulatory navigation and market access.
U.S.-Central Asia Pharma, Medical Devices & Cosmetics Association 
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