OREANDA-NEWS Swiss cancer drug "Mabtera" will disappear from sale in Russia. The registration of the drug was revoked by its manufacturer, Roche, according to the Ministry of Health.

The drug was developed for chronic patients with cancer of the lymphatic system (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), but it has never been purchased due to the availability of cheap analogues that are produced in Russia and India.

According to Nikolay Bespalov, RNC Pharma Development Director, Roche has withdrawn its registration, as competing companies have completely ousted Mabtera from the Russian market. In the first half of 2023, Mabtera accounted for only half a percent of the total volume of purchases of such drugs.

"There is literally a drop on the scale of the country," the expert said in an interview with RTVI and added that the departure of Mabtera from Russia does not pose a danger.

In 2023, the Finnish pharmaceutical company Orion Pharma stopped working in Russia. The company is the main manufacturer of the hormonal anti-inflammatory drug "Metipreda", which is listed in the list of vital medicines in Russia. The company admitted that after this step, its operating profit decreased by 25 million euros.