The United Arab Emirates may start purchasing modern Russian medicines that can significantly reduce the cost of treating serious diseases. Representatives of the country have already visited Russian production facilities and were convinced of its high organization.
Bahrain, with which a memorandum of cooperation in the field of healthcare was previously signed, also intends to purchase medicines from Russia. Issues of joint production and supply of medicines with Russia were also discussed with representatives of Egypt. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia notes that today a list of the most promising countries for the export of Russian medicines has been formed, it includes the states of the EAEU, the CIS, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
In total, the Russian pharmaceutical industry exports medicines under 1,362 international non-proprietary names (i.e., by active ingredient) and 2,784 trade names assigned by the manufacturer. As of April 1, 2025, 544 Russian companies hold licenses to manufacture medicines. Russian vaccines, especially those against measles, influenza, and polio, as well as antibiotics, nootropics, immunostimulants, and monoclonal antibodies, are the best sellers on international markets.
The cost of manufacturing most Russian drugs is much lower than their expensive European counterparts. The competitive advantages of the Russian pharmaceutical industry include speed, scalability, accessibility, and a strong scientific base. For example, Russian companies have learned how to quickly launch the production of analogues of foreign drugs.
At the same time, the main goal of the Russian pharmaceutical industry remains the development and production of new drugs, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The ministry believes that this will increase competitiveness in foreign markets. Over the past two years, eleven original and innovative domestic drugs have been registered in the country. These include drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, anxiety disorders, inoperable or metastatic melanoma, ankylosing spondylitis, and antibiotics. Experts also note an increase in demand for antipruritic, neuropsychiatric and gastroenterological, new original drugs and technologies. Former Soviet countries are showing particular interest in Russian products.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade reports that in 2024, Russia supplied medicines worth just under a billion dollars abroad. But today, Russia ranks only twelfth in terms of pharmaceutical exports, behind the United States, China, India and other countries. Logistics partly complicates the export of medicines.
Nevertheless, a number of countries have increased their purchases of Russian medicines. These include Vietnam, Indonesia, and Brazil. The export vector of the domestic pharmaceutical industry has shifted significantly toward the countries of the Global South, particularly the African continent. Russia currently supplies a wide range of pharmaceutical products in this area, from substances to ready-made medicines.
