The Pharmaceutical Shield: Strategically Significant Drugs

Ensuring that the population has access to drugs that are essential to national security and public health remains a strategic priority of Russia’s state policy. In April 2026, the Russian government approved an updated list of 206 strategically significant drugs. The country needs to establish a complete production cycle for these drugs with state support and hold preferential procurements for them. On 1 January 2026, a points-based system was established to assess the extent of production localization for medicines included in the list of strategically significant drugs. In addition, on 1 July 2026, Russia will introduce a new mechanism that will grant priority in state procurements to drugs that will be fully localized within the EAEU. These preferential measures are expected to further expand localization and foster the development of the national pharmaceutical industry. While acknowledging the overall importance and necessity of stimulating the full-cycle production of pharmaceutical substances and finished medicinal products, experts have pointed out certain industry-specific risks, including shortages of domestically produced substances, medicinal products going out of stock, rising drug prices, and a deteriorating investment climate. What state support measures and preferences are in highest demand among manufacturers of strategically significant drugs in the current conditions? Which drugs fall into the high-risk zone given the current readiness of manufacturing facilities? How can we find a balance between stimulating deeper, full-cycle localization and preventing potential shortages during the full transition to the mechanism that prioritizes supplies from the EAEU? How will this mechanism along with new localization requirements impact the supply of vaccines for the National Immunization Schedule?