Allergy was limited in funds – Newspaper Kommersant No. 5 (7450) dated 01/13/2023

Since the first days of January, Russian pharmaceutical retailers have been faced with a limitation in the supply of the Staloral drug produced by the French Stallergenes. This tool is used in allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), prescribed to patients a few months before the start of flowering plants. The Russian analogue is produced in smaller volumes, experts say. Problems with “Staloral” arose due to logistical difficulties, the drugs imported from January to November turned out to be 17.5% less year on year.

Having studied the range of pharmacy chains in a number of regions, including Moscow, Krasnodar Territory, Rostov, Voronezh, Kaluga Regions, Kommersant did not find the Staloral drug from the French Stallergenes used in ASIT. On some online sites it also turned out to be impossible to book a medicine, although it is presented in storefronts at a price of 6.5 thousand rubles. for a package of three bottles and from 15.6 thousand rubles. for five vials.

The doctors of private medical institutions interviewed by Kommersant confirm the problem. Some clinics have remnants of previously purchased batches of drugs that are now prescribed to patients, one of Kommersant’s interlocutors clarified.

As the doctors explain, Staloral is used as a base drug for ASIT for the treatment of tree pollen allergy, one of the most common types of disease in the Russian Federation. Patients should start taking the medicine two to three months before spring, and many allergy sufferers are now on therapy. Moreover, treatment should be carried out for three to five years, preferably without interruption and without changing the drug, emphasizes Karine Vardanyan, head of the allergology department at the European Medical Center. Medsi’s allergist Tatyana Semenycheva adds that changing the drug is safe, but “there is a difference in effectiveness.”

Director of the Association of Independent Pharmacies Victoria Presnyakova confirms that the chains are faced with a limitation in the supply of “Staloral” due to the lack of the drug from distributors. “There is no information about the timing of the next deliveries,” she adds. Large pharmaceutical retailers interviewed by Kommersant declined to comment, but unofficially talk about the absence of Staloral in retail or a failure in its supply.

According to a Kommersant source among distributors, the problem arose with the manufacturer. A representative of Stallergenes in Russia explained to Kommersant that there were no interruptions in production, but deliveries at the end of 2022 were “delayed”, which is the reason for the shortage. The company promised to establish the process in the near future. “Most likely, against the background of the high season, there was some desynchronization of supplies and demand for the drug,” says Nikolai Bespalov, RNC Pharma Development Director.

According to the expert, in January-November 2022, 90.6 thousand packages of “Staloral birch pollen allergen” were imported into Russia for a total amount of 448.7 million rubles. This is 17.5% less year-on-year in physical terms, but 65.5% more in monetary terms. A record volume of the drug was imported into the country in 2021, when supplies doubled the results of 2020, Mr. Bespalov clarifies.

At the same time, according to RNC Pharma, the Russian analogue of the drug from NPO Microgen was produced in a much smaller volume – about 2 thousand packages for 11 months of 2022. But this tool is not available now, adds Victoria Presnyakova. With the analogue from Microgen, there are often interruptions in supplies, confirms Tatyana Semenycheva. In addition, according to her, this drug is “not as universal” for ASIT as Staloral. Unlike the latter, which is a sublingual (sublingual) drug, the Russian analogue is water-salt extracts of allergens for subcutaneous administration, which requires each procedure to be carried out in the clinic.

Staloral is not the only drug whose supply may be interrupted. On January 11, Roszdravnadzor warned of possible temporary delays in the delivery of medicines to pharmacies due to logistical problems of suppliers and manufacturers.

Olga August