Nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs (NSAIDs) have maintained their position as the most purchased category of medicines on the Russian retail market during the first seven months of 2025. During the reporting period, the sales volume of NSAIDs reached 53.6 billion rubles (equivalent to 183 million packages), accounting for 5.1% of the Russian pharmaceutical market, according to the RNC Pharma report.
The analytical company stated, “This group is the absolute leader in terms of monetary consumption,” noting that sales of NSAIDs increased by 16.3% over the year, while natural consumption grew by 8.4%.
During the reporting period, the majority of purchases in this category were for drugs containing nimesulide, accounting for 20.5%. In terms of consumption in packages, ibuprofen-based drugs are the leading category, representing 28.5%.
In the period from January to July, approximately 165 NSAID brands from 136 companies were available in the Russian retail market. Reckitt Benckiser’s Nurofen brand maintains its leadership within its group, accounting for 12.7% of total sales. In seven months, Russians spent nearly 6.8 billion rubles on purchasing Nurofen, representing an 18% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Menarin’s Nimesil remains in second place with an 8.8% market share, experiencing a sales growth of 12% in rubles. The unbranded drug Nimesulide ranks third, with 19 companies manufacturing it during the reporting period. It accounts for 5.4% of value sales, reflecting a 17% increase. Following that, another unbranded drug, Ibuprofen, holds a 4.8% share with a 27% growth, while Nise from Dr. Reddy’s accounts for 4.5% of the market, showing a 6% increase.
In general, retail sales of medicines in Russia from January to July 2025 increased by 16.4% year-on-year, reaching a total of 1.05 trillion rubles.
