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Of the 829 active substances included in the state registry of vital and essential medicines (ZhNVLP), 75 do not have proven efficacy. This conclusion was reached by Novaya-Europe after analyzing the Health Ministry’s list.
What this is about. These 75 substances correspond to 791 specific drugs, or 7.4% of all entries on the list. They include Arbidol, Kagocel, Glycine, and Ingavirin.
Nevertheless, state institutions continue to actively procure such medicines. In 2025 alone, at least 44.6 billion rubles were spent on drugs with unproven efficacy. In total, state institutions signed about 55,000 contracts for their supply over the year.
In addition, the Health Ministry requires pharmacies across the country to keep six drugs without proven efficacy continuously in stock. Fines are предусмотрены for their absence.
Why this matters. Inclusion in the ZhNVLP list gives a manufacturer significant advantages. Such medicines are purchased by state institutions with budget funds, and pharmacies are required to keep some of them in stock regardless of demand. Thus, a drug’s inclusion on this list directly affects its sales volume and government healthcare spending.