Russian pharma looks for supplies from India.

The western pharmaceutical companies are cutting off business ties with the Russian market in the wake of sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and their allies on Russia after it invaded Ukraine. As a result, the Russian pharmaceutical and medical device companies are forced to look for alternative suppliers in India.

The Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil) recently received a communication from the Indian Embassy in Moscow, Russia. It noted that various Russian companies in industries related to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and associated equipment are making inquiries about the possibility of receiving their supplies from India. While some of these require assistance in getting suitable suppliers of some particular pharmaceuticals, other players are interested in distributing them.

The inquiries came from recognized Russian companies like Pharmamed Company, LLC, New Technologies, LLC, Appolo, Simkodent, and Pharmstandard.

LLC New Technologies is engaged in the registration of new medical devices in Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) to allow their entrance into the country’s domestic market. They have proposed an offer in which it will register several Indian medical devices for in vitro diagnostics. In return, the Indian side will be expected to register similar Russian medical devices for in vitro diagnostics within India. The company is also prepared to be a dealer of any such Indian medical devices.

Another Russian company, Pharmamed, is a manufacturer of biologically active food supplements. It is looking for an Indian supplier of Psyllium Husk, a substance used in their top products named “Phytomucil.” The requirement of this substance is 150-200 metric tons per year, starting from June 2022.

LLC Appolo company looks for which devices are demanded among various Russian medical practitioners and hospitals and then assists in getting these devices supplied to Russia. The company is currently looking for Indian suppliers of medical devices used in the surgical department for newborns and premature babies, neurosurgical department, pediatric urology-andrology department, trauma department, operating room, anesthesiology and resuscitation department, resuscitation and intensive care department, department of maxillofacial surgery.

The company is also interested in gastrostomy devices and accessories similar to AVANOSof USA, tool 3mm that is similar to Karl Storz of Germany), cystoscopes which can be analogous to Olympus of Japan), surgery tables which can be equivalent to MAKE of Germany) and surgery lamps which can be analog of KLS Martin of Germany).

Pharmstandard is the most prominent Russian producer of pharmaceuticals and biologically active food supplements. It is enquiring for reputed Indian producers of various equipment which are needed to manufacture such drugs.

Simkodent is in Russia’s top 10 Russian distributors of dental and dental technician products. It wants to start distributing a slew of Indian equipment, viz. CAD-CAM machines and Zro2 disks, 3D printers and biocompatible materials for printing, intraoral scanners, and lab scanners, Analog lab equipment: sandblasting equipment, lab motors, dental vacuum cleaners, etc.

Pharmexcil has presently urged the various members interested in these opportunities availed by the Russian companies to reach out to the respective Russian companies directly.

Said Uday Bhaskar said, “India is already a reliable supplier of competitively priced, quality generic drugs to Russia. Indian pharmaceutical products have a reputation for quality, price, and reliability in the global market. Many Indian drug companies have a strong presence in the Russian market. Last fiscal year, India exported US& 590.80 million worth of pharmaceutical products to Russia, which is the fourth largest exporting destination for Indian pharma. Russia accounts for half of the India’s pharma export to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) market. Unlike the Western drugmakers, Indian companies are staying put in Russia despite sanctions imposed on Moscow. We hope they continue to export pharma products to Russia amid sanctions.” He is the director-general of Pharmexcil,