Russian pharmaceutical company Avexima has received permission to conduct clinical trials of a generic version of Rybelsus (semaglutide) from Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk. According to the state medicines registry, the trials will be conducted at the Yaroslavl‑based organisation AIX Clinic. The Health Ministry’s approval is valid until the end of 2026.
In 2025, global sales of Rybelsus reached 22,093 million Danish kroner (approximately $3.3 billion), down 5% in local currency and 2% at constant exchange rates from 2024. The decline was largely driven by lower US sales, where Novo Nordisk shifted resources to promote its more popular injectable drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
Novo Nordisk halted supplies of its semaglutide‑based drugs to Russia in 2023. According to the state registry, more than 10 Russian companies now hold marketing authorisations for semaglutide generics, including R‑Pharm, Promomed, Pharmstandard and Geropharm.
Retail sales of domestic semaglutide analogues in Russia nearly tripled in 2025 compared with the previous year, reaching 6.1 million packs (35.2 billion roubles) from 1.7 million packs (9.2 billion roubles). The Centre for Advanced Technologies noted that growth continued into early 2026. Experts attributed the trend to increased domestic production.