The Russian pharmaceutical company Geropharm (one of the twenty largest in the country) has registered the sugar-lowering drug semaglutide [mimics a hormone that regulates glucose levels - editor's note www1.ru] under the name Semavik. Registration documents were received on October 6, according to Kommersant, citing a statement from the company.
The production of Semavik will help solve the problem of a potential shortage of semaglutide amid the departure of the Danish company Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic, from Russia. According to Roszdravnadzor, the foreign manufacturer planned to stop supplying semaglutide to the Russian market by the end of 2023.
Ozempic is used in many countries around the world to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus in case of insulin deficiency. According to DSM Group, more than 2 billion rubles worth of semaglutide was sold in Russian pharmacies between January and August 2023.
The price of Ozempic was regulated in the Russian Federation and should not have exceeded 5.8 thousand rubles per dose. Geropharm has declared a maximum price for its drug at the level of 6 thousand rubles. It is known that a patient with diabetes needs one dose per week.
