BRIEF—Russia experiencing boom in sales of antidepressants

Russia is experiencing a boom in demand and sales of antidepressants these days, according to recent statements by representatives of some leading local pharmacies and analysts.

According to data from the Russian analyst agency DSM Group, last year more than 4 million of various antidepressants were sold in Russia, which became a record figure for the last five years.

In the meantime, in contrast to antidepressants, the demand for herbal and sedative drugs has declined.

Sergey Shulyak, chief executive of DSM Group, said in an interview with the Russian Vedomosti business paper that sales of antidepressants will only grow in Russia in the future.

Some analysts believe that will be mainly due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war and its negative consequences, such as the ever-deteriorating economic situation in Russia.