The Pharmaceutical Market: Russia

Around three quarters of the Russian pharmaceutical market is supplied by imports as the domestic production of innovative pharmaceuticals is negligible. This report is ideal for executives wanting to understand the key drivers in the pharmaceutical market and have access to a wealth of statistical data, including five-year market projections. Included with the report are 3 free quarterly updated outlook reports, enabling you to keep up to date with market developments for a year.

With a population of around 142 million, Russia is a potentially vast market. Health spending is generally very low, however, in comparison with Western countries.

The country has a sizeable domestic generic industry, but the local production of innovative drugs is negligible. Russian manufacturers are small and under-funded, often making do with outdated equipment. Many locally produced drugs are obsolete outside Russia. Foreign companies such as Stada Arzneimittel are starting to enter the market however, through the acquisition of domestic companies.

In 2008, the Russian market for pharmaceuticals is estimated at US$10,483 million. Per capita spending is low, at US$74. It is expected that the pharmaceutical market will continue to expand at a CAGR of 11.4% per annum, taking it to US$17,969 million by 2013, or US$129 per capita.


Around 74% of the market is supplied by imports. Germany and France were the leading suppliers in 2006, accounting for over 30% of imports. The value of imports reached US$6.1 billion in 2006, an increase of 43.4% over 2005. Many importers are CEE generic companies such as Gedeon Richter, Krka and Lek.

The market environment remains challenging for overseas companies. Major problems reported in Russia include corruption, bureaucracy, counterfeiting and poor data confidentiality. Government officials and politicians often discriminate in favour of the domestic industry, and enforcement of existing rules is often weak.

In January 2005, a new system of supplying drugs to vulnerable population groups was introduced. Each month, patients have to choose between receiving a sum of R423 (US$16.7) or a package of benefits which includes free medicines. The system has experienced financial difficulties from the start with the government blaming patients choosing expensive pharmaceuticals. There are plans to replace the DLO with a system with compulsory health insurance, which would provide free or low-cost prescription drugs to all Russians, in 2010.



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