Russian radiopharmaceuticals accounted for 98% of the domestic market in 2025, Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Ekaterina Priezzheva said at the Innoprom exhibition. She also noted that the industry should move from producing individual drugs to building platforms that would enable the development of multiple directions at once.
Radiopharmaceuticals are drugs containing radioactive isotopes. They are used for diagnosis – detecting tumours and metastases via PET and SPECT scanners – and for targeted therapy, delivering radiation directly to diseased cells while sparing healthy tissue. Thanks to microscopic doses, they are safe for patients. These drugs can detect pathologies at the earliest stages and pinpoint tumour locations before they become visible on CT or MRI scans.
According to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, the number of registered radiopharmaceuticals in Russia has doubled in recent years. However, the industry faces regulatory barriers, noted Maria Leer, director of clinical research quality at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. Current regulations do not account for the specificities of radiopharma: requirements designed for conventional drugs are nearly impossible to meet for products with short half‑lives.
