By June 2019, the pharmaceutical drug inflation rates have reached a value of 6%, especially against the background of the results of the previous two years. The rising prices, given the decreasing incomes of the population, will obviously be unable to lead to higher demand, and, as a result, the dynamics of the retail and commercial market for the first half of 2019, after a short surge in the first quarter, returned to last year's values, which are closer to stagnation than to growth (+2.4%).

Between January and June 2019, Russia imported 56.4 bln RUB worth of APIs (free circulation prices, VAT included), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 21% higher than that of the same period in 2018. In physical terms, Russia imported 5.8 thousand tons of APIs, and the dynamics are +6.1%, if calculated in kilos. 96.6% of the API import accounts for pharmacopoeial APIs.

Between January and June 2019, Russia imported 31.9 bln RUB worth of veterinary products (free circulation prices), which is in monetary terms (rubles) only 0.1% higher than that of the same period in 2018. The dynamics are due to a decrease of the import of feed supplements in monetary terms, -8.2%. However, the import of feed supplements still amounts to as much as 16.8 bln RUB. The dynamics of the import of veterinary drugs in monetary terms are +10.4%, with over 13.8 bln RUB. The dynamics of the import of veterinary APIs are as high as +22%, with nearly 1.3 bln RUB.

Between January and June 2019, Russia imported 274.4 bln RUB worth of ready-made pharmaceuticals (free circulation prices), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 11.3% higher than that of the same period in 2018. The dynamics of the in-bull import in monetary terms are +2.2%, with 53.8 bln RUB.

Between January and June 2019, Russia produced 186.8 bln RUB worth of pharmaceutical drugs (manufacturers’ dispatch prices, VAT included), which is monetary terms (rubles) 18.8% higher than that of the same period in 2018. In physical terms, the dynamics are only +1.3% in units and +1.2% in minimum dosage units (MDU). The total volume of production for the period is around 2.1 bln units or 35.2 bln MDUs.

In 2018, Uzbekistan imported nearly 50 bln RUB worth of ready-made pharmaceuticals (CIP prices), which is in monetary terms (RUB) 3.9% higher than that in 2017. Despite the relatively low dynamics in monetary terms, the dynamics in physical terms are surprisingly high, +18%, and that was not due to changes in dosage forms. If calculated in minimum dosage units (MDU), the dynamics are +22.4%.

In early June, the media reported possible increase in meat prices in Russia due to feed supplement (FS) importers being charged additional VAT on top of the preferential tax rate of 10%. Until April 1 2019, most FS importers were charged the usual rate of 20% (18% until January 2019), while nearly 20% of FS import enjoyed the preferential rate of 10% in 2018. In 2016, it was around 25%, but it began rapidly decreasing in Q1 2019, when the Federal Customs Service, followed by the Ministry of Finance, toughened the preferential rate requirements.

In 2018, Russia imported 774.4 mln RUB worth of pharmaceuticals, which is in monetary terms (rubles) 8.7% higher than that of 2017, and 23.1 mln rub worth of APIs, which is monetary terms nearly 44% higher than that of 2017. The dynamics for the first three months of 2019 are even more impressive, with a 3.1 times increase for ready-made pharmaceuticals and a 3 times increase for APIs. However, this is due to lower importing activity in 2017.

Between January and March 2019, Russia imported 165,000 units of pharmaceutical drugs for clinical trials (CT), worth 3.8 bln RUB (free circulation prices), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 1.8% lower and in physical terms 17% lower than that of the same period in 2018. Despite the negative dynamics, the total number of importing products has increased by 18, to 318.

Between January and May 2019, Russia imported 5.4 bln RUB worth of pharmaceutical drugs made in the EEU countries (wholesale prices, VAT included), which is in monetary terms (rubles) 22.4% higher than that of the same period in 2018. The dynamics in physical terms (units) are around +28%, with 100 mln units.