In Q1-Q2 2025, more than 9.3 million packs of anxiolytics (tranquilizers) (group N05C according to the EphMRA classifier) were sold on the Russian retail market for a total of 4.6 billion rubles (at retail prices, including VAT). According to information from the database “Audit of retail sales of medicines in Russia (total sell out)” by the analytical company RNC Pharma, the ruble dynamics relative to Q1-Q2 2024 amounted to 16.9%, while growth in physical units (in packages) reached 9.8%. In 2024, compared to 2023, the monetary volume of sales in the category grew by a comparable amount (17.3% in rubles), but the dynamics in physical terms were more modest (+5.2%). It is noteworthy that the growth rate of physical demand has been increasing for the third consecutive year; in 2023, compared to 2022, the growth rate in packages was 4.9%.

Almost a third (32.8%) of the retail market for anti-anxiety medicines is concentrated in four regions: Moscow, the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, and Krasnodar Krai. Despite the relatively mature state of the market in these regions, significant growth is still being recorded, ranging from 7% to 9% in terms of packages and from 13% to 18% in terms of ruble equivalent. The lowest consumption of anxiolytics in Q1-Q2 2025 was recorded in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Republic of Tuva, and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, with a total of only 5,900 packages sold during this period. Interestingly, of these three regions, only the latter was characterized by high sales growth (+21% in packages and +23% in rubles). Only nine Russian regions were characterized by a decrease in the physical volume of tranquilizers consumption, with the most noticeable decline in the Kirov Region (-9%).

The analyzed group includes 31 brands from 26 manufacturing companies. The absolute leader in terms of both monetary and physical sales volume is the original Russian medicine Afobazol from OTC Pharm, which accounts for almost 45% of the market, but its growth rate (12%) lags behind the group average. The second place is held by Grandaxin from Egis (Servier Group), with sales of the medicine growing by 18% over the year. The absolute leader in terms of dynamics in the top ten is Stresam from the French company Biocodex, with sales of the medicine growing by 54% in rubles over the year. The medicine Atarax from the Belgian company UCB Pharma also showed high growth rates (+23% in rubles). This medicine is also notable for being one of the leaders in terms of natural consumption volume, slightly behind Afobazol, with more than 3 million packages sold.

Outside the top ten, the highest growth rates relative to Q1-Q2 2024 were recorded for Vespireit (Valenta) and Aviandr (Chemrar), with comparable growth rates of 95% and 90%, respectively.

The medicines Adaptol (Olainfarm) and Phenazepam (Valenta) showed minimal ruble dynamics in the top, not exceeding 3%. Despite the growth in monetary sales, the physical volume of consumption of these products in the current year has decreased significantly by 10% and 11%, respectively.

Table. TOP 10 brands of anxiolytics (tranquilizers) (group N05C – according to the EphMRA classification), by cash sales volume in the Russian retail pharmaceutical market in Q1–Q2 2025