In January 2026, the total sales of medicinal products on the Russian retail market (including the online channel with delivery to the consumer and the new regions) amounted to RUB 160.1 billion (at retail prices, including VAT). During this month, pharmacies sold a total of 391.1 million packages of medicinal products. According to information from the "Retail Audit of Drug Sales in Russia (total sell out)" database of the analytical company RNC Pharma, the dynamics of consumption compared to December 2025 showed a decrease of -18.9% in ruble terms and -19.4% in physical volume terms. However, compared to January 2025, the results are quite optimistic, with ruble dynamics recorded at +11%, although demand in packages is still falling (-2%). Due to the extended holidays, activity on the market in the first month of the year is traditionally at one of its lowest levels, and 2026 was no exception; in January, we had only 15 working days.

Naturally, this impacts sales dynamics, with absolutely all pharmaco-therapeutic groups characterized by negative consumption dynamics compared to December values. However, there are a few exceptions in this series where consumption rates adjusted very slightly against the general backdrop. We identified two such categories: hypnotics and sedatives (EphMRA classification group N05B) and laxatives (group A06A). In the first case, the ruble sales volume in January 2026 compared to December 2025 decreased by only 2.4%; in the second group, by 2.9%. This is especially notable considering that in December 2025, we had almost 1.5 times more working days, with 22 working days that month.

The physical volume of consumption for these groups also declined. Sales of hypnotics lost 6.8% compared to December 2025, and demand for laxatives decreased by 3.8%. However, in both groups, the negative dynamics were primarily driven by reduced demand for outdated, previous-generation drugs. Specifically, for sedatives, sales of Corvalol fell by 6% (almost 244,000 packages), Motherwort Tincture by 9% (-146,000 packages), and Valerian Tincture by 8% (-113,000 packages). In the laxative group, Glycerin suppositories (-6% or -43,000 packages) and Bisacodyl (-7% or -36,000 packages) can be mentioned in this context.

At the same time, for a number of products in these categories, demand indicators not only did not decline but actually grew. In the hypnotics and sedatives group, Melatonin stands out: its sales in January 2026 increased by 14% in rubles compared to December 2025. This dynamic was mainly driven by sales from the companies Severnaya Zvezda and Ozon Pharmacevtika. Glycine+Melatonin from Evalar also demonstrated increased demand (+4% in Russian currency). For the laxative category, notable products include Regulax from Crevel Meuselbach (+91%) and unbranded Lactulose (+20%). The latter was sold by three different companies, with Avva Pharmaceutical making the most significant contribution to this dynamic.

Table. Monthly Sales Dynamics on the Russian Retail Market for Laxatives (EphMRA group A06A) and Hypnotics & Sedatives (N05B)