A ceremony was held at Petrovax Pharm’s facilities in the Moscow region to launch the production line for Areima (camrelizumab), a Russian immune-oncology drug for treating nasopharyngeal, oesophageal and lung cancer. The project was carried out in partnership with the Gamaleya Centre. Investment exceeded 2 billion roubles. Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov officially started production, a GxP News correspondent reported from the event.
“Today we are witnessing the launch of full-cycle production, where the entire manufacturing chain is built here [in Russia]. It is very important for us to move away from the generic track and continue along the path of innovative drugs,” Alikhanov said, adding that the Russian pharmaceutical industry had come a long way under the Pharma‑2020 strategy.
The minister added that the industry faces the task of increasing localisation of drugs, especially cancer drugs, under the national project “New Technologies for Health Preservation”. He said the full-cycle launch of Areima was made possible by the work of scientists at the Gamaleya Centre.
Petrovax Pharm president Mikhail Tsyferov stressed that Areima is an original innovative drug that helps with conditions for which there was previously no effective treatment. Thanks to domestic production, the company can offer more competitive prices and expects a positive effect on the state budget, including tax revenues. “This project is not just a drug launch – it is the construction of a domestic innovative immunobiological platform. We have learned to produce advanced drugs ourselves, although it once seemed impossible,” Tsyferov added.
The goals of the partnership with the Gamaleya Centre are to strengthen Russia’s drug security and technological sovereignty, and to expand citizens’ access to innovative treatment. Pavel Vandyshev, deputy director for infrastructure development at the centre, said that the Gamaleya Centre and Petrovax Pharm are conducting joint pilot studies of combination therapy with Areima and mRNA vaccines. Results have not yet been disclosed, but the partners intend to continue working to determine the optimal indications for the most effective use.
“As a research organisation focused on creating new drugs, we fully support the principle of drug security. That is why we found this project very interesting. Our alliance is twofold: we see a common interest and collaborate, leveraging each other’s strengths. Of course there is an economic interest, but we work for the benefit of society – people will be saved. Science will get its reward,” Vandyshev said.
Rights to camrelizumab in Russia were acquired by Petrovax under a licensing agreement with China’s Jiangsu Hengrui that provides for full localisation of production. The project to bring Areima to market began in 2021. The drug became the first in the country approved for treating nasopharyngeal cancer. It is included in the list of vital and essential drugs and in RUSSCO practical guidelines. First deliveries began in spring 2025, and technology transfer, including synthesis of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, was completed in 2026.