Questions over the supply situation for Cuprenil in Russia

Russia may face a shortage of rare disease drug Cuprenil (penicillamine), according to government procurement statistics data and the statistics of the commercial retail, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

Cuprenil, from Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA), is intended for the treatment of the rare hereditary Wilson’s disease, a rare genetic disorder in which excess copper builds up in the body.

The risk of a shortage of Cuprenil in Russia first appeared in 2020, when Teva announced its plans to completely stop supplying eight of its drugs to the Russian market, including Cuprenil. A replacement for it existed only formally in 2019, when the Russian firm Nativa (now PharmMental Group) registered a generic penicillamine, although without registering its maximum price.