The Russian biopharmaceutical company Promomed announced a launch of another semaglutide-based obesity drug, Velgia Eco. It will be sold in disposable injectors. A new manufacturing technology is used for the product, due to which, unlike the classic version, it does not contain traditional preservatives such as phenol or benzyl alcohol. As the manufacturer’s press service told GxP News, it will become available for patients as early as June.
Promomed added that Velgia Eco is produced at the company’s own facilities from the substance to the finished dosage form. The range of the traditional five dosages (from 0.25 to 2.4 mg) is the same as in the classic version of the drug. A package is sufficient for one month.
The company explained that the drug is intended for patients sensitive to such substances, as well as for individuals with concomitant liver and kidney diseases. Preservatives can accumulate in the body, so they were eliminated from the composition to reduce the risk of side effects. The drug injector contains only the active substance in a buffer solution, which ensures the absorption of the drug.
In 2024, Promomed launched the semaglutide-based Velgia drug for obesity of any severity. Unlike a number of other drugs, for example, Promomed’s Quincenta, Velgia is only for obesity and not for other conditions. It was reported that the Federal Antimonopoly Service registered prices for all five therapeutic dosages of the drug, ranging from 4,279 to 10,271 rubles.
Semaglutide is included in the list of vital and essential drugs (VED). In the fall of 2022, Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovi, reference drugs with the same INN, notified Roszdravnadzor of its decision to stop supplies. At that time, the Russian government issued a compulsory license for semaglutide to Russian companies, including Promomed and Geropharm, so they received the right to manufacture their products based on it.
According to the RNC Pharma analytical company, Promomed rates second among manufacturers of various generations of obesity drugs in the Russian retail market (from May 2024 to April 2025). The leader is Geropharm, which has 42.7% of the market. Promomed has a slightly inferior share of 38.3%.
