AstraZeneca calls on Russian regulators to ban release of generic Forxiga

UK pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) has appealed to the Russian Investigative Committee and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) against Russian drug firm Akrikhin, which produces a generic of the diabetes drug Forxiga (dapagliflozin) during the validity of the patent.

Akrikhin’s generic is known as Fordiglif and, according to AstraZeneca’ its launch in the Russian market is illegal, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent, as its Forxiga is protected by a patent until 2028.

According to the Russian analytical company DSM Group, in 2023, 5.6 million packages of Forxiga were sold in Russia for 15.2 billion roubles ($161 million), and over the past two years the volume of its sales has increased significantly. More than half of all Forxiga sales come from government procurements. The remainder is sold in pharmacies, where patients purchase the drug themselves. According to DSM Group, Forxiga's share in total sales of all diabetes drugs is 6% in volume terms and almost 26% in value terms.