The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has restricted access to its databases for researchers from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. Without this information, the development of new drugs in Russia will become more difficult.
Scientists from these countries have lost access to "Controlled-Access Data Repositories (CADR)," which contain important information about the health of Americans suffering from various diseases, including mental disorders, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. The decision was a consequence of an executive order signed by former US President Joe Biden in February 2024. It restricts access to medical-genetic data for countries that pose a threat.
This is not the first time that Russian researchers have faced such restrictions. In June 2022, access to the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) was closed, which already had a negative impact on research in the field of oncology. The new NIH restrictions may significantly affect Russian science and medicine, as previously available data served as a "backup" for researchers, especially in the field of cancer.
As a result, there is a risk that we will be forced to purchase ready-made foreign drugs, which is more expensive and takes financial resources abroad. Moreover, such dependence in a sphere that directly affects public health puts the country in a vulnerable position and exacerbates the technological gap with world leaders.
Russian authorities plan to create a "National Database of Genetic Information" by September 1, 2025.
Earlier www1.ru reported that a cancer vaccine will be free for all Russians.
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