The Russian Ministry of Health canceled the registration certificates for several drugs in mid-April, including Revlimid (lenalidomide) and Imnovid (pomalidomide), both treatments for blood cancer. These drugs, owned by the American pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb, were withdrawn from the Russian market as the company exited. Russian generics have replaced these previously best-selling drugs in public procurement, which was the main reason for the recall of the American drugs by registration certificate holders, according to Forbes.
Revlimid (INN lenalidomide), which has been sold in Russia since 2009, is used to treat multiple myeloma, smoldering myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Imnovid, based on pomalidomide, has been available since 2015 for treating multiple myeloma and Kaposi’s sarcoma. According to the public procurement website, the last mention of Revlimid in requests dates back to January 2024, while Imnovid was last purchased in the summer of 2021.
The analytical company DSM Group reported that government agencies have turned to Russian manufacturers such as Pharm-Sintez, Biocad, Pharmstandart, and Veropharma. In 2024, these agencies procured 69,300 packs of lenalidomide-based generics and 13,200 packs of pomalidomide-based medicines, totaling 2.6 billion and 1.9 billion rubles, respectively.
The American Bristol-Myers Squibb, which owns the rights to Revlimid and Imnovid, has become one of the few Western pharmaceutical companies that announced its withdrawal from the Russian market due to the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. BMS transferred the management of its business to Swiss company Swixx Healthcare AG in 2022. The Russian subsidiary of the latter, OOO Swixx Healthcare, has filed applications for cancellation of licenses for both drugs, which it manufactured locally, in Kursk and Ufa.
Reports from Kommersant indicate that Revlimid was among the most expensive and best-selling drugs globally but started to falter in the Russian market. Following a series of auctions in May 2022, the drug was not purchased due to the lower bids from domestic manufacturers, with auction prices falling 2-2.5 times compared to previous auctions.
The decision by the Russian Ministry of Health to cancel the registration of Revlimid and Imnovid was announced on April 17, in response to applications from authorized legal entities of the companies holding the certificates, as it was reported back then.
