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Coronavirus pandemic

Russia has enough anti-COVD drugs, with 90% of them manufactured domestically - minister

Russia’s output of anti-COVID drugs has hiked by 1,000% since April 2020

Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov Alexander Astafyev/POOL/TASS

Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov

© Alexander Astafyev/POOL/TASS

SARANSK, February 5. /TASS/. Russia has enough drugs against the novel coronavirus infection, with some 90% of them being manufactured domestically, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said on Friday.

According to the minister, Russia’s output of anti-COVID drugs has hiked by 1,000% since April.

"As for anti-COVID medicines, we remember when we had feverish demand for such drugs. I can say that in a period from April to December 2020 our companies increased production of some medicines by 1,000%," he said, adding that they were antibiotics and anti-viral drugs.

"The public health system’s demand for anti-coronavirus medicines is completely satisfied, both in the out-patient, in-patient, and pharmacy segments. Domestically-manufactured drugs satisfy 90% of the demand," the ministry said citing Manturov.

On Friday, Manturov attended the opening ceremony of a new production at the Biokhimik plant. It will manufacture Promomed’s finished amploulled pharmaceutical products, including enoxaparin sodium and nadroparin calcium blood thinners needed in coronavirus treatment. When the production line reaches its full capacity, Russia will be able to satisfy its demand without exporting such medicines, Manturov stressed.

Biokhimik’s press service told TASS, the new production line will be able to manufacture up to 15 million ampoules a month, or more than 173 million a year.

Last year, Biokhimik launch production of Areplivir (favipiravir), an antiviral drug used in anti-COVID treatment. According to the Russian ministry of industry and trade, production of Areplivir has increased ten-fold since September 2020, from 100,000 to 1 million packages a month and is expected to double by April.

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