The Russian retail pharmaceutical market, which reached a volume of 1.89 trillion rubles in 2025 (+15.8%), is experiencing a radical shift in leadership. This is evidenced by data from the RNC Pharma analytical report “Retail Segment of the Russian Pharmaceutical Market. Results of 2025“. While inflationary growth dominates the overall sales volume, a drama of import substitution is unfolding within the brand rankings. The Russian analogue of Ozempic is demonstrating triple-digit growth, displacing traditional Western leaders, while the market in terms of packs has been definitively captured by “umbrella” generic brands.
Money: Revolution in the Top 10
The main event of the year was the change in the balance of power in the ranking of the best-selling drugs in monetary terms. Although the anticoagulant Eliquis (Pfizer) remains the leader, its hegemony no longer looks absolute.
The Russian brand SemaVic (a compulsory-licensed drug produced by Geropharm, which is an analogue of Ozempic) soared to the second line with phenomenal dynamics of +165%. This is a clear example of how a Russian product has successfully replaced departed Western hits in a high-margin niche.
At the same time, the long-standing leader of previous years, Xarelto (Bayer), continues to lose ground, showing a 22% drop in sales. This led to the Bayer concern ceding leadership in the corporate rating to the Nizhpharm group of companies, whose brand Edarbi (cardiology) grew by 26% and entered the top five.
Table 1. TOP-10 Trademarks (TM) by Sales Volume in Monetary Terms (2025)
| No. | Trademark | Manufacturer (Corporation) | Market Share (Rub), % | Dynamics vs 2024, % |
| 1 | Eliquis | Pfizer | 0.94 | +7 |
| 2 | SemaVic | Geropharm | 0.89 | +165 |
| 3 | Xarelto | Bayer Healthcare | 0.71 | -22 |
| 4 | Forxiga | AstraZeneca | 0.70 | +54 |
| 5 | Edarbi | Nizhpharm | 0.67 | +26 |
| 6 | Nurofen | Reckitt Benckiser | 0.67 | +18 |
| 7 | Detralex | Servier | 0.62 | +13 |
| 8 | Theraflu | Haleon | 0.59 | +16 |
| 9 | Heptral | Abbott | 0.58 | +17 |
| 10 | Pentalgin | Otisipharm | 0.54 | +11 |
Source: RNC Pharma
Packs: Ocean of Generics
In natural terms (in packs), the concept of a “brand” is blurring. The leaders in consumption are not unique trade names, but INN generics (International Nonproprietary Names) produced by dozens of factories simultaneously.
The absolute leader in the number of packs sold is Omeprazole (1.51% share), which is produced by 28 different companies. The only classic commercial brand to break into the Top 10 natural rating remains Nurofen (Reckitt Benckiser), which took 7th place with sales growth of 12%. The remaining positions are occupied by cheap “first price” drugs: Citramon, Naphthizine, Saline solution.
Table 2. TOP-10 Trademarks (TM) by Sales Volume in Natural Terms (2025)
| No. | Trademark (INN) | Major Manufacturers* | Market Share (Packs), % | Dynamics vs 2024, % |
| 1 | Omeprazole | Production of Medicaments + 27 companies | 1.51 | +0.6 |
| 2 | Citramon | Pharmstandard + 14 companies | 1.15 | -4 |
| 3 | Naphthizine | Slavyanskaya Apteka + 18 companies | 1.15 | -5 |
| 4 | Sodium Chloride | Grotex + 33 companies | 1.10 | +2 |
| 5 | Menovazin | Genel + 14 companies | 1.06 | -1 |
| 6 | Paracetamol | Pharmstandard + 35 companies | 1.03 | +1 |
| 7 | Nurofen | Reckitt Benckiser | 1.01 | +12 |
| 8 | Bisoprolol | Vertex + 23 companies | 0.96 | +4 |
| 9 | Ceftriaxone | Binnopharm + 24 companies | 0.89 | -6 |
| 10 | Acetylsalicylic acid | Pharmstandard + 16 companies | 0.86 | -4 |
*Note: For generics, the leading manufacturer and the number of other players are indicated.
Source: RNC Pharma
Niche Leaders and Categories
In addition to the general ratings, an interesting struggle unfolded in specialized categories in 2025.
- Nasal preparations (Drops and sprays). The Otrivin brand (Haleon) dominates here with a share of 9.4% and growth of 25%. Localized brands such as Rinonorm (+22%) and old brands like Naphthizine (+15% in money terms), produced by 19 factories, are trying to oppose it.
- ASIT (Allergen-specific immunotherapy). The allergy treatment market demonstrates ultra-high consolidation. The Staloral brand (Stallergenes Greer) holds a monopoly position with a 78.9% share in its group. However, the most aggressive growth was shown by another product of this company — Oralair (+77%), while the competitor Ragwizax collapsed by 28%.
- Aesthetic medicine (Fillers and biorevitalizants). In the segment of injection cosmetology sold through pharmacies and clinics, the Belotero brand (Merz) leads with a share of 10.9%. However, Russian and Asian brands are advancing: Novacutan grew by 54%, and the Plinest brand showed explosive growth of 132%.
Results and Trends
The year 2025 recorded a trend towards “premiumization” of consumption in monetary terms: patients are switching to modern prescription drugs (the share of Rx reached 60.3% of the market), such as Forxiga and Edarbi. At the same time, the success of the SemaVic brand proves that the Russian consumer is ready to massively switch to Russian generics in the high-price segment if they solve the problem of original drug shortages.
