Watching the ongoing chaos of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a growing group of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical giants are taking their next steps, closely watched amid the global backlash – withdrawing from Russia for a full range of business activities, and for some, transferring excess profits to everything. what’s left.
The latest moves come after criticism of the pharmaceutical industry for not stopping doing business in Russia while many global companies rush out of Russia as bombs fall in Ukraine.
Novartis told Endpoints News today that it is accepting a two-pronged response: an initial $3 million donation to several non-governmental organizations, and they have “decided to suspend any investment in Russia and stop all commercial marketing activities, as well as all scientific events organized by us or external parties.” .
Merck is following suit, telling Endpoints they “won’t be investing in Russia anymore.” The company also said that the company has no research or manufacturing facilities in Russia and complies with international sanctions to ensure access to treatment. In addition to stopping any new screenings and enrolling patients in ongoing clinical trials, the company has also stopped planning new trials.
AbbVie said in a statement that the pharmaceutical company has “temporarily suspended all of our beauty products in Russia,” adding that the company has no manufacturing facilities in the region and will continue to monitor its employees in and around Ukraine.
For Eli Lilly, the answer is twofold: stopping the company’s export of non-essential medicines to Russia and transferring profits from sales in Russia to humanitarian aid organizations.
A spokesperson for Eli Lilly clarified that the suspension would apply to certain drugs, such as Cialis.
The company provided details by posting a short advertisement on its website: “We have also suspended all investment, promotional activities and new clinical trials in Russia, as well as the export of non-essential medicines to this country.”
Roche told Endpoints that since their Russian counterparts play a role in providing access to medicines, pharmaceuticals will continue to operate there for the time being. The company has no production sites in the country. The representative added that the activation of the new site and the registration of new patients are currently suspended in Russia.
A spokesperson for Bristol Myers Squibb told Endpoints that “we have suspended the recruitment of new patients and the activation of clinical trial centers in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. We have also suspended the activation of new clinical trials in these countries.” And although the company has 160 employees in Russia, there are no production or research centers in the country.
Pfizer, Bayer and Sanofi were the first pharma companies to take another step this week in response to the incursion into the industry, with Pfizer suspending the start of new clinical trials in Russia and pausing the enrollment of new patients in the country to participate in ongoing trials, even though that it promises to continue providing drugs to patients already enrolled in trials.
Bayer announced that it would stop all spending in Russia and Belarus not related to the supply of essential health and agricultural products, and Sanofi said it would immediately stop all advertising and media activities in Russia, as well as any new non-delivery spending. “our essential medicines and vaccines”.
But a number of large companies have yet to formally follow suit. So far, many have stuck to employee-oriented and/or humanitarian efforts.