Roche likely to lose another state contract in Russia

Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX) will probably lose one of its major contracts in Russia for the next several years, which involves the supply of bevacizumab, the active ingredient of its blockbuster cancer drug Avastin, for state needs.

This will be due to the forthcoming launch of the analogue of the drug by Biocad, one of Russia’s largest biotechnology firms, which is investing more than $10 million in its development, according to The Pharma Letter’s Russia correspondent.

In 2014, the total value of purchases of bevacizumab for state needs amounted to 3.2 billion roubles ($52 million) and there is a possibility that this year the market will remain at the same level.