Steep decline in Russian pharma market expected in 2nd-half 2019

The Russian pharmaceutical market may face a steep decline in the second half of the current year, due to the ongoing slumping of drug sales in the country, according to recent statements by some senior state officials and industry’s analysts, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

The latest statistics of a local analytics agency DSM Group show drug sales in Russia in June 2019 fell by almost 5% on a year-on-year basis to 386.6 million units. In value terms, the decline was equivalent to -2.4%, to 73.9 billion roubles ($117 billion).

Overall in the first six months of the current year the Russian pharmaceutical market registered the first decline since 2016.