China-Russia Pharmaceutical Cooperation Forum Opens Registration: Focusing on Russia's Market Appeal and Exploring New Bilateral Opportunities

Collaboration remains an enduring keyword in the pharmaceutical industry.

In recent years, with continuous advancements in technological innovation, an accelerating trend of population aging, and growing health demands, there have been newer and higher expectations for technological innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. This has undoubtedly driven collaboration and transactions on innovative projects among pharmaceutical companies both domestically and internationally, making cross-sector and cross-border cooperation the main theme of the pharmaceutical industry.

To furtherPromoteComprehensive Strategic Cooperation Between China and Russia in Clinical Trials, Market Authorization, and Import/Export of Pharmaceuticals, on June 20, 2023, Shanghai will host2023 China-Russia Pharmaceutical Cooperation Forum, representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Chinese regulatory authorities (TBA), and the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation will participate in this event.

At that time, the forum will establish a cross-border platform for exchange to explore new market opportunities in China and Russia, bring cutting-edge drugs and therapies to a broader global patient population, and shape a new future for pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

In light of sustained growth, Asian pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have begun exploring additional options, including new destinations for conducting multiple clinical trials and obtaining market authorization.

Leveraging multiple advantages, including a large and diverse population, high recruitment rates, competitive pricing, and a robust regulatory system,Russia is becoming one of the preferred destinations for various types of research.

According to available data, Russia is the world's ninth most populous country, with a population of 146 million. As a multi-ethnic nation comprising 194 distinct ethnic groups, its large and diverse population represents a significant advantage for conducting clinical trials.

Secondly, according to the national registry of the Russian Ministry of Health, the number of studies initiated in Russia by Asian sponsors has been increasing over the past 5–6 years. According to U.S. FDA data, Russia ranks second only to the United States in terms of the number of subjects enrolled in clinical trials. OCT Clinical, one of the leading pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing companies in Eastern Europe, has demonstrated through its case records that recruitment rates in Russia are on average 1.5 times higher than those in other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, Russia boasts a robust infrastructure for conducting clinical trials, a large pool of specialized medical professionals and researchers, and a network of hospitals, clinics, laboratories, diagnostic centers, and research institutes equipped with modern medical technologies and equipment, thereby creating favorable conditions for the conduct of clinical trials.

Specifically, in terms of data, out of the 740 clinical trials approved by the Russian Ministry of Health in 2022, 526 were initiated by local sponsors and 214 by foreign sponsors. Among these, Phase III was the most common type of clinical trial in Russia in 2022. The primary therapeutic areas included oncology, cardiology, endocrinology, infectious diseases, and psychiatry. Furthermore, among the 37 new drugs approved and registered by the U.S. FDA in 2022, nine underwent clinical trials in Russia.

As of January 2023, the total number of trials registered in Russia on ClinicalTrials.gov was 6,137, with 1,460 studies listed as actively recruiting on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.

In recent years, China and Russia have maintained a close cooperative relationship. Russia is the second-largest export market for China among Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries and has recorded the highest growth rate among the top 10 BRI markets.

Data shows that Russia’s pharmaceutical market share reached $29.3 billion in 2022, representing a 12% increase from 2021. As Russia’s pharmaceutical capabilities continue to strengthen, there has been a sustained rise in product launches, international expansion, and market licensing activities. Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises are increasingly eager to enter the Russian market, driving continuous growth and diversification in Sino-Russian pharmaceutical cooperation.

Chinese pharmaceutical companies, represented by CanSino Biologics, RecBio, and Zhuhai Livzon Monoclonal Antibody Biotechnology Co., Ltd., are beginning to strengthen their collaborations with Russian suppliers and pharmaceutical companies.

For instance, in September 2020, the first batch of Russian volunteers received the COVID-19 vaccine from China’s CanSino Biologics; in November 2021, the Russian Ministry of Health approved the Phase III clinical trial of the V-01 vaccine developed by Zhuhai Livzon Monoclonal Antibody Biopharmaceutical; and in September 2022, Recombinant Biotech partnered with the Russian CRO provider OCT Clinical to conduct registration trials for its COVID-19 vaccine, among other examples.

To further strengthen pharmaceutical cooperation and exchanges between China and Russia,“2023 China-Russia Pharmaceutical Cooperation Forum” will be held in Shanghai on June 20, aiming to strengthen comprehensive strategic cooperation between China and Russia in areas such as clinical trials of pharmaceuticals, market authorization, and import and export.

The forum is primarily targeted at senior executives of pharmaceutical companies, authorized representatives of R&D firms, regulatory agencies, scientific officers, clinical operations professionals and industry policymakers, drug distributors, and market access companies. The agenda will include, but not be limited to, the following topics:

• Marketing Authorization in Russia

• R&D and Clinical Trial Regulations

• GMP Testing Requirements

• Collaboration opportunities between Russian and Chinese pharmaceutical companies

• The Commercial Value of the Overseas Pharmaceutical Industry

Chinese pharmaceutical companies can participate in this event free of charge; simply register at the event'sOfficial WebsiteSimply fill out the form above.

Date and Time:June 20, 9:00-13:00

Location:Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai (just a 5-minute walk from the CPHI venue, allowing CPHI China attendees to easily participate in this event).

For project details, please visit this website: https://rcprf2023.oct-rus.ru/cn.

Scan the QR code below to register easily: