MOSCOW, November 20. / TASS /. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has worked out the issue of increasing the import of "Methylprednisolone" into the Russian Federation, which is used for patients with rheumatic diseases and is recommended for the treatment of coronavirus infection. This is stated in the message of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
"To date, Methylprednisolone in an injectable dosage form is not produced in Russia, while two companies import this drug at once. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia has worked out the issue of increasing the volume of supplies to the territory of the Russian Federation of this drug," the message says.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, there is an increase in sales of "Methylprednisolone", as well as other drugs of the anticoid group. So, in October 2020 (from September 28 to November 1, 2020), more than 20 thousand packages of "Methylprednisolone" in the form of a lyophilisate for injection were sold in Russia. During the same period of 2019, more than 15 thousand packages of the drug were sold.
"Thus, there is an increased demand for this drug, which is due to its inclusion in the methodological recommendations of the Ministry of Health of Russia for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. It should be noted that, in accordance with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health of Russia, this drug in injectable dosage forms can be replaced by alternative drugs - dexamethasone and prednisolone, produced in Russia ", - indicate in the ministry.
Pharmaceutical market situation
Based on the experience of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Industry and Trade directed Russian pharmaceutical enterprises in the summer to create six-month stocks of raw materials and materials according to the antique nomenclature, the department emphasizes. For these purposes, the companies have already attracted more than 10 billion rubles from the Industrial Development Fund, primarily for increasing production volumes, which they have been carrying out since July.
As a result, according to the ministry, already in early October, the companies reached the volume of production of drugs for coronavirus, twice the peak April values. This provided significant stocks as the drugs were in low demand for several months in a row. But already in the middle of October, an exuberant demand began both in the pharmacy and in the hospital segments. Especially under such demand are drugs that are again included in the temporary recommendations for the treatment of covid, approved by the Ministry of Health.
All drug manufacturers have made the production of antiquarian nomenclature a priority, and for the majority of drugs in November-December it is planned to increase the volume more than threefold. "And in order to replenish the demand for the anticancer group, its own production is combined with foreign supplies, for drugs not produced by local manufacturers, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is considering increasing the volume of imports. It should be noted that now there is no task to create capacities for each imported drug, which has extremely limited application in peacetime, "the Ministry of Industry and Trade concludes.