Russia to limit purchases of high-priced anti-cancer drugs next year

29 December 2020

Representatives of the Association of Cancer Patients, Zdravstvy, one of Russia’s leading public associations representing the interests of patients, has called on the national government to resume procurements of some high-priced original drugs, which are used to treat cancer and for which purchases are not planned for 2021.

Most of these drugs are not part of vital and essential drugs and are used to treat breast cancer. Their purchases were conducted via the Russian Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund (MHI).

The list of such drugs consists of Ibrance (palbociclib), Kisqali (ribociclib), abemacyclib, Abraxane (paclitaxel + albumin) and Tecentriq (atezolizumab). All of these have no Russian analogues and are produced by US firms Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), Celgene - now part of Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) and Swiss drug giants Novartis (NOVN: VX) and Roche (ROG SIX). Another drug, that will not be a subject of purchases is denosumab, Amgen’s (Nasdaq: AMGN), which is used to treat osteoporosis.

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