In 2023, the ten largest foreign pharmaceutical companies significantly tightened their financial ties with Russian medical professionals, cutting conference funds, travel allowances, and consulting payments by 652.6 million rubles, a decline of 17 percent from the previous year. RBC analyzed calculations from multiple sources to map this shift, with Bayer, a German giant, taking the largest hit by reducing its payments by 31 percent, dropping from 336.6 million rubles to 230.6 million rubles. The overall trend shows a concerted pullback in direct payments to doctors, underscoring a strategic move among foreign players to reallocate resources during a period of geopolitical and market turbulence.
Several major firms, including GlaxoSmithKline, Takeda, and Novo Nordisk, halted payments to Russian physicians altogether, signaling a substantial reduction in funding traditionally directed toward doctors in the Russian Federation. Despite the cessation of broad support, the data suggest that some doctors who had established cooperative relationships with Bayer still received sizable sums, with at least four individuals reportedly earning more than one million rubles each. This pattern indicates a selective continuation of engagement for certain high-value professionals, even as the majority of overseas sponsors paused broader outreach.
Representatives from Bayer explained the shift as a recalibration of business priorities toward delivering the greatest value in physician education about product use, emphasizing the deployment of digital solutions and other scalable formats rather than broad-based sponsorships. The company stressed that the focus was on activities that enhance physicians’ knowledge and the safe, effective application of their medicines, rather than on broad promotional events. This stance reflects a broader industry move to emphasize scientific dialogue and digital channels as substitutes for traditional in-person sponsorships during a period of regulatory scrutiny and market disruption.
Analysts indicate that the decline in payments to doctors in Russia stems from a strategic reassessment after the start of the military operation and subsequent changes in how foreign companies approached marketing in the region. The suspension of classic marketing programs, coupled with a need to adapt to a more volatile sales environment, pushed firms to explore new channels for physician education and engagement. As sales softened, sponsors shifted away from broad conferences and hospitality packages toward more targeted interactions, digital learning modules, and data-driven communications that aim to support clinical decision-making while reducing exposure to political and reputational risk.
On a broader note, observers have noted a period of heightened sensitivity around clinical information and public health messaging within Russia and neighboring markets. The evolving posture of multinational firms toward pharmaceutical outreach has stirred discussions about how foreign investments influence local medical practice, patient access, and the transparency of industry-supported educational activities. While the Russian healthcare landscape continues to evolve in response to these changes, the core thread remains: companies are balancing the desire to support physicians with the need to comply with evolving regulatory expectations and geopolitical realities, often opting for digital tools and value-based education as core strategies.