Imported active pharmaceutical substances (APIs) account for approximately 70-75% of the Russian market, according to Razia Solodova, head of the analytical center of the FBU “State Institute for Drugs and Good Practices” of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. She presented these findings at the 26th International Exhibition of Equipment, Raw Materials, and Technologies for Pharmaceutical Production, Pharmtech & Ingredients.
China remains the leading supplier, providing over half of all imported APIs. Europe accounts for around 29% of imports, while India contributes approximately 17%. The global API market is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 5.8% over the next six years, reaching a monetary value of $319 billion by 2030.
“Trends in the API market are positive, reflecting overall growth in the pharmaceutical sector. This is driven by the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, which require new substances and raw materials for treatment,” Solodova noted.
Highlighting the growing demand, she emphasized the need to ensure supply chain resilience:
“The trend toward localizing API production applies not only to the Russian market but to other countries as well. However, we still rely heavily on imports—about 70-75% of our APIs are imported.”
She also noted that a high dependence on imported APIs is not unique to Russia. In countries like Germany, the United States, and France, the share of foreign APIs reaches up to 50%. Nevertheless, Russia has seen a decline in API imports for the second consecutive year. From January to May 2024, total imports amounted to 8,000 tons in physical terms.
Source: GxP-news, November 20, 2024.
