There has been a noticeable rise in the sales of injectable diabetes medicines containing the active ingredient semaglutide in Russia. Early reports indicate that sales at the end of the first quarter surpassed the total figure for all of 2023, a resurgence highlighted by TASS references to data from the pharmaceutical company Geropharm.
Geropharm’s president, Petr Rodionov, explained that much of this surge stems from the introduction of a new product called Semavik, an analogue of the Danish drug Ozempic. He noted that during January through March, Semavik accounted for a dominant share of 69% of sales.
Rodionov added that the key driver behind the climbing demand was the streamlined distribution network. He recalled that last year Ozempic often changed hands through secondary channels, with prices ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 rubles per package. In contrast, he observed that the current retail price for Semavik in any pharmacy falls between 5,000 and 6,000 rubles, making the medication far more accessible to patients.
Earlier, Russia also experienced a sharp uptick in demand for Botox and related botulinum toxin therapies. The first quarter saw a substantial rise in sales of botulinum toxin products, increasing by 139% in unit terms and by 123% in monetary value, signaling strong consumer uptake across cosmetic and therapeutic applications.
In other industry news, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, a Japanese company, reported a loss of 24 million dollars tied to a scandal involving food additives. The episode has underscored ongoing regulatory scrutiny and the impact such incidents can have on the market and consumer confidence across global pharmaceutical supply chains.