Leading Russian drugmakers plan expansion into EU and US markets

Leading Russian pharmaceutical producers plan active expansion in the European Union and the US markets over the next several years, which is expected to take place through the launch of new, original drugs, according to an official spokesman of the Russian Ministry of Health, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

This summer R-Pharm, one of Russia’s largest drugmakers, received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct clinical trials of a drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. According to the company, assuming the trials are successful, the new drug will soon be launched in the USA and the EU states. R-Pharma also recently purchased US rights to Bristol-Myers Squibb’s breast cancer drug Ixempra (ixabepilone; TPL October 5).

At the same time, there is a possibility that similar plans may be announced by Biocad, another leading Russian pharmaceutical producer, which recently declared investing up to $150 million for the design of a new anticancer drug, which will be a biosimilar to rituximab (Roche’s MabThera) and supplies to Western markets should be started during the next two years.