Russia won't ban Western drug imports until at least end-2018

The Russian national Parliament (State Duma), together with the government, will suspend introducing a ban on the imports of drugs from the USA and other ‘unfriendly’ Western states by at least the end of the current year, according to recent statements of some senior officials in the Russian government, including the Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova, report The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

The ban on the import of drugs was decided to be removed from the bill on counter-sanctions, which was finally approved by the Russian government.

As a result of a sharp criticism from producers and Russian public community, the State Duma decided to soften the bill, removing the main controversial items from it, including the ban on drug imports to the country.