The Moscow Arbitration Court has ordered Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk to grant a simple (non-exclusive) licence to Russian company Biokhimik (part of the Promomed Group) for the use of two patents related to the production of semaglutide-based drugs. The court also ordered Novo Nordisk to pay 50,000 roubles to cover the claimant’s state duty costs.
The court found that Novo Nordisk had stopped supplying its original drugs Ozempic and Rebelsus to Russia at the end of 2023. The defendant objected to the claim, citing increased global demand and priority supply to other countries as reasons for halting deliveries. However, the court rejected this argument.
“The defendant’s preference for the interests of patients abroad over Russian patients under such circumstances cannot be considered a valid reason for failing to resume supplies or for refusing to grant a licence to interested parties,” the ruling stated. The court also noted that Novo Nordisk had provided no evidence of plans to resume deliveries to Russia.
Under the ruling, Biokhimik may use the inventions in any lawful manner throughout the entire territory of Russia for the full term of the patents (including any possible extension). Licence fees are set at 1.75% of actual revenue from drug sales. The ruling has not yet entered into force and may be appealed.
Novo Nordisk halted Ozempic supplies as early as March 2023. In December of that year, the Russian government issued compulsory licences for semaglutide drugs to Geropharm and Promomed; PSK Pharma later joined them. Currently, 11 analogues of Ozempic are registered in Russia.
According to RNC Pharma, pharmacy sales of obesity drugs based on semaglutide and tirzepatide in Russia reached 17 billion roubles in the first quarter of 2026. In the same period a year earlier, the figure stood at 5.2 billion roubles.
