Merck & Co eyes vaccines production in Russia

US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK) is considering localizing production of vaccines against rotavirus infection and human papillomavirus (HPV) in Russia at the facilities of one of the local drugmakers, according to Marwan Akar, general director of Merck’s subsidiary MSD Pharmaceuticals in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

He said negotiations with potential local partners and the Russian government are currently ongoing, while a final decision depends on the type of vaccines that will be included in the expanded Russian National Schedule of Prophylactic Vaccinations (NSPV), which is due to be published shortly by the Russian Ministry of Health.

One of the potential partners for MSD in Russia could be Natsimbio, a leading Russian producer of vaccines and part of the state and defense conglomerate Rostec.