Russia plans to speed localization of foreign vaccines

Russia plans to localize production of a number of vaccines for the treatment of certain serious diseases in the next several years, according to recent statements by some senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Health and local media.

As part of these plans, particular attention will be paid for some foreign vaccines, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

Initially, Nacimbio, a subsidiary of the Russian state technological corporation Rostec, as well as the Russian drugmaker Nanolek, which specializes on the production of pediatric vaccines, had plans to localize some foreign vaccines in Russia. In the case of Nacimbio, the company in partnership with US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the USA and Canada, wanted to produce vaccines against rotavirus, chickenpox and HPV, while the second, together with the UK’s GSK (LSE: GSK), chickenpox vaccines. Both projects were halted, although there is a possibility that they could soon be resumed with the participation of foreign investors.