The Ministry of Health of Russia was unable to purchase part of the drugs for HIV infection

At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Health of Russia was unable to purchase some of the drugs necessary for the treatment of HIV infection. The reason was low prices, at which suppliers are not ready to sell drugs.

As Kommersant reports, 17 of the 61 announced auctions for the purchase of medicinal products in this region did not take place at the beginning of 2024. The suppliers did not enter the auctions due to the fact that the initial maximum contract prices, declared by the Ministry of Health, were in some cases at 98 % lower than in 2023.

For example, the initial maximum price for darunavir was declared to be 1.54 rubles per tablet, whereas last year it was 72.56 rubles. Members of the public indicate that there were no applications from suppliers and at a number of auctions, where the starting prices did not change compared to last year.

As a result, the planned 107 annual courses of drugs for the treatment of HIV infection were not purchased. The Ministry of Health told Kommersant that the available stocks of these drugs will last another three months. However, the “Zdravresurs” group, which deals with problems of access to the treatment of socially significant diseases, expressed concern that procurement delays may lead to interruptions in the supply of HIV drugs to patients, especially in the regions.

• According to official statistics, about one and a half million people live with HIV in Russia – that’s about 1% of the population. With regular use of antiretroviral drugs, HIV-positive people live a normal life until old age, become non-contagious to others and give birth to healthy children.