The Russian pharmaceutical market did not notice the sanctions

Only 99 international non-proprietary names (INN) of medicines were no longer imported into Russia in 2022, according to RNC Pharma analytical company. This is approximately 8% of all drug names delivered in the previous year. Among them, in particular, the anti-Parkinsonian drug levodopa + benserazide, the antitumor toremifene and obinutuzumab, as well as the analgesic ibuprofen + codeine (known under the brand name Nurofen Plus). True, pharmaceutical companies continued to ship eight of these 99 INNs in bulk during the past year. These are, for example, insulin degludec and aspart from Novo Nordisk and chemotherapy trabectedin from Johnson & Johnson.

In the list of drugs, the supply of which stopped last year, there are drugs not registered in Russia. They were periodically imported into the country to treat coronavirus infection or for some other reason, Nikolai Bespalov, RNC Pharma Development Director, explains. As examples, he cites the monoclonal antibody regdanvimab, the antitumor agents asparaginase, trifluridine + tipiracil, and osilodrostat for Cushing’s disease.