Russian drug public procurements on verge of consolidation

The number of pharmaceutical companies supplying their drugs for state needs as part of the most expensive procurement programs in Russia fell by 30% in 2020, as the level of competition in this market segment is tightened, according to recent statements, by some senior officials of the Russian Ministry of Health and some local media, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

The decline was observed in the case of the largest procurement programs, such as the “14 high-cost nosologies”, as well programs, which involve purchases of drugs against HIV, hepatitis B and C, and tuberculosis.

According to data of Headway Company, a Russian agency in the field of pharmaceutics, last year the overall public procurements of drugs as part of 14 high-cost nosologies program amounted to 69.9 billion roubles ($931 million), while antiretroviral drugs accounted for 30 billion roubles.