Kommersant: Russians may lose 300 foreign drugs

Due to the suspension by global pharmaceutical companies (Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, etc.) of clinical trials in Russia, about 300 drugs under development may not enter the market in the next 10 years. Including drugs to combat currently considered incurable diseases, the so-called “breakthrough therapies”

According to the newspaper “Kommersant”, domestic developments in these areas are still rare. The Center for Mathematical Modeling in Drug Development of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov reported that the estimates were based on the developments of the 20 largest global pharmaceutical companies and startups. A total of six thousand promising developments, of which, as a rule, 5-10% are completed by bringing the drug to the market.

We are talking about multispecific biologics and gene therapy. These drugs could change the way we treat several forms of cancer in the next two years.

The Russian company Biocad has now received permission for clinical trials of a drug against spinal muscular atrophy. Gene therapy is also being developed. It has become one of the key in the activity of the enterprise.

Generium is developing three original drugs. One of them is designed to combat lymphoblastic leukemia. This is the only Russian drug of this kind.

Ilya Yasny, head of the scientific expertise of the Inbio Ventures venture fund, said that Russia would not be able to provide the market with all analogues of foreign drugs. It will take up to 10 years to develop them. In addition, there are problems with the supply of reagents, equipment, and there is a shortage of specialists.

In his opinion, in order to stabilize the situation, the conditions for bringing drugs to the Russian market should be facilitated. In particular, cancel mandatory local clinical trials or allow the import of medicines in foreign packaging.

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