Russian government to expand anti-cancer drugs public procurement this year

Newly-appointed Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has instructed the national government to lift the existing restrictions on the procurement of foreign drugs, particularly those which are used for the treatment of cancer, genetic and some rare diseases, according to recent statements, made by the press-service of the Russian government and some local media, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

The existing restrictions were set by the governmental decree, dated November 30, 2015, which established the procedure for the procurement of drugs from the list of essential and vital products. According to these rules, the state customer must reject all applications submitting by foreign drugmakers in the event of participation in the tender of their domestic rivals.

“The Mishustin’s decision expands the capabilities of physicians and increases the number of drugs that can be included in public procurements,” according to chief oncologist at the Russian Ministry of Health Andrei Kaprin.