In Q1 2026, Russians purchased over 3.4 million minimum dosage units (MDU) of systemic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (group M01A¹) in specialized veterinary pharmacies and pet stores across our country. Compared to the same period last year, physical demand for this group of drugs increased by 20.2%. The total sales volume of veterinary NSAIDs amounted to RUB 418.8 million (at retail prices, including VAT) — 22.3% more than in January–March 2025. The steady long-term growth of the veterinary NSAID category accelerated sharply in 2025. By the end of last year, sales reached 12.7 million units worth RUB 1.54 billion, showing simultaneous growth in physical units and monetary terms of 16.5% compared to 2024.

Russian manufacturers of veterinary NSAIDs are rapidly displacing imports. According to the database "Retail Audit of Veterinary Drug Sales in Russia (total sell out)" from the analytical company RNC Pharma, their monetary share doubled in 2025, exceeding 53%, and by early 2026 it had already reached over 60%. In physical terms, domestic products accounted for 67.4% of the market in Q1 2026. During this period, sales of Russian companies increased by 54% in MDU and 58% in monetary terms compared to January–March 2025. The foundation for this breakthrough was laid in 2024, when physical demand for domestic drugs increased nearly fivefold compared to the previous year.

The driver of import substitution is the high level of activity in product portfolio development. During 2025 and early 2026, retail was replenished with more than 10 new NSAID brands, almost all of which are domestic. The absolute leader among new products is Onokseb (INN robenacoxib) from Nita-Pharm: in Q1 2026, over 55,000 MDU of this drug worth RUB 7.5 million were sold. Moreover, robenacoxib-based products are showing the highest dynamics on the market — over the year, physical sales of Russian products with this INN increased 3.4-fold. Until 2024, the American company Elanco (brand Onsior) held a monopoly in the robenacoxib segment, but now drugs with this active ingredient are also manufactured by seven other companies, including producers from Belarus and Slovenia. In the meloxicam segment, the dominance of local players is also evident: over the year, physical sales volumes of Russian brands grew by 51%, while demand for imported analogues fell by 33%.

In January–March 2026, 15 Russian and 27 foreign companies competed in the veterinary NSAID market, presenting a total of 67 trademarks. The leader in the segment in monetary terms remains the domestic brand Vemelkam (INN meloxicam) from Nita-Pharm with a 22.5% share and annual revenue growth of 26.5%. In second place rose the Russian drug Nefolin-Vet (INN meloxicam) from Vetuchastok, which captured 11.3% of the market thanks to a sales surge of 87.6%. The high activity of Russian companies has pushed the former leader — the Onsior brand — down to fifth place in the ranking. Over the year, consumer spending on it halved, while physical demand fell by 57.5%.

Fig. Structure of the Russian Retail Market for Systemic Veterinary NSAIDs by Imported/Domestic (including online channel)

[1] Analyzed group M01A — non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic drugs