Kaluga is expected to complete its program for radiopharmaceuticals in two years

Kaluga pharmaceutical cluster recently increased the number of locally manufactured drugs from 65 to 154. The Governor Anatoly Artamonov expects that the region needs 2 more years to complete its import substitution program for radiopharmaceuticals, reported Kaluzhskaya Nedelya, a local newspaper.

“One of our strategic areas are radiopharmaceuticals, a specialty of research and production teams in the city of Obninsk. The absence of these drugs in medical institutions constrains the studies and detection of malignant tumors at the early stage and, as a result, it constrains the ability to completely cure the oncological disease. For example, in a couple of years, we will be able to completely substitute the imports of technetium generator, and we will not only provide this drug to all our medical centers, but also will be able to export it. In our case, it comes several times cheaper. But the quality is in no way inferior; and I would say that it’s even better.”

According to Anatoly Artamonov, Russia needs five more years to completely substitute its pharmaceutical imports.

“It is no coincidence that the President pointed out to our more than 80% dependence on imports as representing an extreme danger for Russia. 10 years ago, Kaluga region did not produce any medicinal products at all. I saw good prospects in the pharmaceutical area. Today, the pharmaceutical cluster of our region has more than 60 participants, including major manufacturers. By the way, PFIZER, an American company, has just decided to establish, together with RUSNANO, a pharmaceutical production facility, because the politics are politics and business is business. What is important, as soon as we started doing this, we attracted more partners. We already have a fair number of active molecules created in Kaluga region.”