Current issue #3, 2016

Profitable panic

Pharma businesses riding swine flu

Against the background of the ruble depreciation for the second year running, the Russian population came to perceiving drugs as an investment vehicle. An increased seasonal ARVI and flu incidence rate just whips up this trend – the more so that Russia officially reported the start of epidemics, and on January 26, the Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) introduced an ARVI and flu quarantine in Moscow. According to Chief Public Health Physician of Moscow Elena Andreyeva, the incidence rate exceeded the epidemic threshold by 37.8%. A number of other regions reported an epidemic prior to that.

[PharmVestnik # 3, 02/02/2016, p. 1, cont’d p. 4]

Backtrack point

VED list to include 90% of Russian-made drugs with the account of 2011 list

The Russian government made an amendment to the state program Pharma-2020, pursuant to which the parameter “Bringing the local drug manufacture according to the Strategic Drug list and VED list to 90%” shall be calculated taking into account the 2011 Vital and Essential Drug (VED) list. Thus, the time period during which the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Minpromtorg) is to achieve the 90% goal set by the president, received both the starting and end points. But experts are very cautious when discussing whether it is objective to be based on the 2011 list for achieving this goal.

[PharmVestnik # 3, 02/02/2016, p. 2]

A small chance

Subsidizing Russian Pharma companies to continue in 2016

The Russian government intends to prolongate for 2016 subsidizing the payment of interest on loans received in 2014—2015 for industrial enterprises implementing import substitution programs. The companies that participated in the subsidy project in 2015 do not deny the necessity of such support but emphasize that such decision is not enough to compensate for plummeting sales or growing costs. The market players count on subsequent prolongation of loan subsidies.

[PharmVestnik # 3, 02/02/2016, p. 3]

The Audit Chamber states that medical insurance companies fail to protect patient rights

The Audit Chamber of the Russian Federation published the results of inspection of the intended and efficient use of the Compulsory Medical Insurance funds by medical insurance companies ...