The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia has agreed on the price of another domestic generic of antiepileptic drug Vimpat (lacosamide) developed by the Belgian UCB Pharma. The drug, Lacosamide-IPY, which has the same active ingredient, is produced by the Russian company IPpharma. The agreed prices for it have been reduced by an average of 18% relative to the registered prices for the foreign reference drug.
According to the FAS press service, the price for a pack of 14 tablets of the generic (50 mg) has been agreed at 175 rubles, whereas the same package of the original drug costs 213 rubles.
“The FAS believes that price coordination for a new domestic generic drug will increase the availability and expand the choice of such drugs for citizens after the expiration of the patent for the original medication,” FAS press service reported.
Lacosamide is used as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of partial epileptic seizures with or without secondary generalization in patients with epilepsy over 16 years of age. The medicine is included in the list of vital and essential drugs (VED). The original drug was developed by UCB Pharma.
According to the State Register of Medicines (GRLS), several more lacosamide analogues have been registered in Russia, including Lacosamide PSK (PSK Pharma), Lacosamide-Pharmstandart (Pharmasyntez-Tyumen), Novolera EPI (ZAO Pharmaceutical Company Sotex), Lacosamide (Dalkhimpharm), etc.
In 2024, it was reported that the FAS had agreed on the maximum selling prices for the Russian generic drug Laxovel (lacosamide) manufactured by Velpharm.