Govt pressures global drugmakers to spend 20% of revenue on R&D in Russia

The Russian government plans to require global drugmakers operating in the local market to spend up to 20% of revenue on the R&D activities within Russia, otherwise threating to annul patent protection of their drugs in the local market, according to recent statements made by some senior government officials.

This will apply a foreign producer of a patent-protected original drug, which has no analogues in Russia, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

Non-compliance with these requirements will lead to the compulsory licensing of these drugs by Russian drug manufacturers, which will be able to start the production of generics of these drugs, regardless of the owner's consent.