RIA-Novosti, 27.08.2016

Prices on medicines containing the same substances, but sold in Russia under different trademarks, are in some cases overstated by 160 times, said Igor Artemyev, head of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service and member of YABLOKO Federal Political Committee.

“There is our research how pharmaceuticals were registered [in Russia] two2 years ago… If we take, for example, a well-known [spasmolytic] No-Spa. The chemical formula of the substance, whether it is called No-Spa or Drotaverine, is absolutely the same, there are about 30 other names of [the drug called] No-Spa – these are merely different trade names. But the difference in price between the officially registered trade names is 12 times and 160 times in some cases,” Artemyev said in an interview to Russia-24 television channel.

According to Artemyev, organized crime operates in the field of deliveries and sale of pharmaceuticals, and it the reason for such high drug prices.

“What is going on is that they gather in some sauna and agree “you take this contract, and you another one”, “if I take this contract, then I give you 10 per cent as to the subcontractor”, and quite respectable structures are engaged in this and the market already has these structures representing a criminal world,” Artemev noted.

He expressed hope that the law enforcement would help the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service in the investigation, because here we are talking about the “real mafia”.

Source: https://ria.ru/society/20160826/1475400965.html