The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that the production volume of essential platinum-based anticancer drugs (carboplatin, oxaliplatin, and cisplatin) in January–February 2026 remained at the level of the same period last year. According to TASS, approximately 260,000 packages have been produced since the beginning of the year, of which more than 100,000 have already entered civil circulation. Thus, the Ministry responded to reports from patient organizations about shortages of these drugs in several regions.
According to the “Drug Movement Monitoring” system, as of early March, nearly 600,000 packages remain in stock with entities in the distribution chain in Russia. The Ministry of Industry and Trade assured that this volume is sufficient to cover the average quarterly demand at the current consumption level. More than half of the reserves (over 300,000 packages) are already located directly in medical organizations. Another approximately 150,000 manufactured packages are planned to be introduced into circulation in the near future.
Based on the plans of Russian manufacturers, it is expected to produce an additional approximately 850,000 packages of carboplatin, 540,000 packages of oxaliplatin, and 460,000 packages of cisplatin by the end of the year. The Ministry added that the possibility of accelerating and increasing production volumes is being explored.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade acknowledged that difficulties in providing for patients may arise in certain regions, but attributed them to the high demand for the drugs and procedural issues related to drug supply. The Ministry reminded that responsibility for organizing medical care for the population, including drug provision, rests with regional health authorities and is addressed by them using funds from the respective regional budgets.
Earlier, Gazeta.Ru, citing several patient organizations, reported a shortage of platinum-based drugs. According to their representatives, from October 2025 until now, they have been constantly receiving complaints from cancer patients who are unable to receive vital treatment due to the unavailability of these medications.