In January–July 2026, the Russian pharmaceutical industry maintained an upward trend, with growth, as before, almost entirely driven by prescription drugs. In the first seven months of this year, the share of the Rx category in the total output of finished medicinal products (FMPs) exceeded 52.4%.

In the first seven months of 2026, pharmaceutical enterprises located in Russia demonstrated sustained positive production dynamics. The total output of FMPs in Russia from January to July reached RUB 652.1 billion (at manufacturer selling prices, including VAT), reflecting a 18.5% increase compared to the same period last year. Physical output volumes also show steady expansion. According to the "Production of Medicinal Products in Russia" database from the analytical company RNC Pharma, from January to July of this year, domestic and foreign pharmaceutical enterprises located in our country released approximately 1.22 billion packages of FMPs into civil circulation. In terms of minimum dosage units (MDU), this figure amounted to 32 billion units. Compared to January–July 2025, production volume increased by 7.8% in consumer packages and 9.5% in MDU.

The industrial output of FMPs in July 2026 amounted to 328.5 million consumer packages, equivalent to more than 7 billion minimum dosage units. In the structure of July shipments, the dominant sector was formed by prescription drugs, which accounted for more than 55% of the physical volume, or 181.5 million packages. At the same time, production of OTC drugs decreased by 12% compared to July 2025, while the prescription segment showed a 7% increase compared to July of last year. In value terms, total shipments in July exceeded RUB 92.7 billion, surpassing the same period last year by 21.3%.

Over a broader time horizon covering the first seven months of this year, the dynamics of Rx drug shipments also significantly outpaced the OTC segment. On an annual basis, the output of the Rx category increased by 8%, while the OTC segment showed relatively modest expansion of 2%. Starting from the end of winter, the faster growth rates of the prescription group became even more pronounced, with this segment consistently prevailing in the monthly production structure.

Within the top thirty leading brands of the prescription segment, in terms of physical output volume, most products showed significant shipment growth in January–July 2026. The absolute leader in growth rate was unbranded Spironolactone, produced during the reporting period by four domestic pharmaceutical companies, with Ozon Pharmacevtika playing the dominant role. Total production of this drug increased by 60% in packages compared to the same period last year. High growth was also demonstrated by hypoglycemic agents: Merifatin (INN metformin) from Pharmasyntez and Forxiga from AstraZeneca, with production increasing by 53% and 51% year-on-year, respectively.

Among the TOP-30 OTC brands, the highest growth in the first seven months of this year was shown by Activated Charcoal, produced in the current year by only two companies, with the main growth provided by Pharmstandard, which increased production 2.3-fold and released 15.3 million packages into civil circulation. Also noteworthy is unbranded Ibuprofen (+46% in packages), produced by 14 enterprises, with the main driver being Velfarm, which increased shipments 2.3-fold.

Fig. Monthly Production Volume of Finished Medicinal Products in Russia (including the output of foreign pharmaceutical companies at their own and contract sites) by Rx/OTC Category from January 2025 to July 2026, in physical terms