Russia’s Axelpharm continues disputes with Pfizer over generic axitinib

The Russian drugmaker Axelpharm will continue sales of its drug axitinib, which is used in kidney cancer therapy and is a generic of version of US pharma giant Pfizer’s (NYSE: PFE) Inlyta, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent.

This is despite protests of the Russian antitrust regulator the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS), which believes that Axelpharm violated the law on protection of competition, since its drug was produced on the basis of the molecule of the original drug Inlyta. Earlier, the FAS had already issued an order to Axelpharm, demanding that it pay a fine of more than 500 million roubles ($5.8 million), which is comparable to the entire volume of drug sales under state procurements.

Still, in early March 2025, the Moscow Arbitration Court overturned the FAS ban on Axelpharm from marketing Axitinib and its sales in the local market.