Russia's R-Pharm eyes expansion in domestic market

The Russian drugmaker R-Pharm is accelerating its expansion in the domestic market this year with the planned investments of 4 billion roubles ($100 million) in the building a new production facility in St Petersburg and the establishment of a large-scale production in the capital city of Moscow.

In the case of Moscow, the company became the winner of the tender announced by the Moscow government, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

Under the terms of the tender, the company will launch the production of two anti-cancer drugs - daratumumab (Johnson & Johnson’s [NYSE: JNJ] Darzalex) and pembrolizumab (Merck & Co’s [NYSE: MRK] Keytruda), as well as ustekinumab (J&J’s Stelara), an immunosuppressants for the treatment of psoriasis and tocilizumab (Roche’s [ROG: SIX] Actemra/RoActemra), for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.