Russian pharma developers to create four vital new drugs

Nanolek and Biocom, two Russian pharmaceutical companies, are undertaking to develop four vital new drugs for use primarily in the Russian market.

Nanolek and Biocom, two Russian pharmaceutical companies, are undertaking to develop four vital new drugs which no other Russian manufacturer offers and none of the international pharmas has patented for use in Russia yet, Remedium.ru reports. The companies are reported to have already signed respective government procurement contracts for R&D with the Russian Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Out of a total of $3.4m to be allocated under the terms of the agreements, only $1.5m is expected to come from federal coffers. Under plans, Biocom will lead the effort and Nanolek will assist in R&D work, the setup of production and registration of two anti-tumor drugs, a drug for leukemia, and a drug to fight malaria. The partners will manufacture the new pharmaceutical compositions in a form of pills at their respective production sites, one of those being a new Nanolek bioparma factory to be launched next year in the Kirov region, in the Volga area. Under the terms of the contracts, both partners are expected to complete all R&D by the end of 2014...