Picture of the day: digest of the main news from August 18, 2025
Main
#1 The Russian Ministry of Health has approved an order postponing the complete rejection of the paper version of medical books until 2026. Initially, it was planned that physical medical books could be abolished as early as September 1, 2023, but then the implementation of the initiative was repeatedly postponed, the last time until September 1, 2025. The explanatory note to the draft order noted that the document was developed "in order to preserve transitional provisions on the possibility of issuing and maintaining previously issued personal medical books on paper on forms and in the format that were used before the entry into force of this order." The regulation will come into force on August 31, 2025.
#2 The Ministry of Health has developed criteria for assessing the quality and effectiveness of dietary supplements. Doctors will be able to prescribe dietary supplements to patients if there are indications from September 1, 2025. In total, the regulator has proposed five quality assessment criteria (dietary supplements must meet each of them) and three performance indicators (at least two must be met). For example, the quality of supplements will be indicated by the presence in the manufacturer's technical documentation of requirements for mandatory testing of each batch of finished products for compliance with safety indicators and the quantitative content of active substances described in the documentation. The Ministry of Health proposes to consider the criterion of effectiveness to be the inclusion of the substance contained in the supplement in current clinical or preventive recommendations, methodological letters or other documents.
Regulators
From September 1, 2025, the Procedure for providing consultations to insured persons by specialists of a medical insurance organization (MIO) when filing claims against clinics in the event of poor-quality medical care or refusal to provide it with the collection of funds, developed and approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, will come into force. In total, the document contains eight points, which, among other things, describe the rules for filing an application for a consultation, and also establishes the obligation of the MIO to assist the insured in filing a claim against a medical organization.
Pharmaceutical business
Roszdravnadzor filed a lawsuit with the Arbitration Court of the Moscow Region demanding that the Indian pharmaceutical company Jodas Expoim be held administratively liable for gross violations of licensing requirements identified after the discovery of counterfeit drugs with false information about the manufacturer. The first hearing is scheduled for September 17. At the same time, Jodas Expoim is challenging the decision of the Russian Ministry of Health to cancel the registration of a number of its drugs, including Imipenem and Cilastatin Jodas and Fluconazole.
Medical services market
The research center of the Progress communications group found out that almost 40% of all dental clinics in the country are concentrated in Moscow and St. Petersburg (25% and 11.65%, respectively). This breakdown is presented in the report on the study of the dental services market in Russian cities with a population of over 500 thousand, while in regional centers the share of dental clinics ranges from 1% to 4% of the total number in the country. The highest average rating for dental clinics is noted in St. Petersburg (4.5 out of 5), in Moscow the level is slightly lower - 4.4. In the Far East, the indicator is at 3.7, and in Makhachkala - 2.8.
Government procurement
An updated list of information sources used to determine the initial (maximum) contract price and the final cost when concluding a contract with a single supplier for the supply of technical means and equipment has been approved. By decision of the Government of the Russian Federation, the list has been expanded from three to four information sources. Now it is necessary to use cost data for goods, works, services corresponding to the procurement object, which are indicated in the advertisement and are a public offer. The rules will also apply to the performance of work on the manufacture of prostheses, prosthetic and orthopedic products, orthoses for patients who have been injured due to industrial accidents and occupational diseases.
Career
Elena Nedochukova has been appointed Deputy Governor of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, supervising, among other things, the work of the Department of Health, Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the region. Since July 2022, she held the post of First Deputy Head of the Ministry of Health of the Chelyabinsk Region. In her new position, Nedochukova will also coordinate the implementation of the national projects "Long and Active Life" and "Family" in the NAO.
Prospects
Novo Nordisk has received the first accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Wegovy (semaglutide) 2.4 mg in adults with metabolic steatohepatitis associated with moderate to severe liver fibrosis. The approval is based on results from Part 1 of the Phase 3 ESSENCE clinical trial, which enrolled 1,200 adults with metabolic steatohepatitis. At week 72, 36.8% of patients receiving Wegovy experienced a reduction in liver scarring without worsening steatohepatitis, compared with 22.4% of people receiving placebo.
Other news:
FAS: since the beginning of the year, the cost of 44 INNs has been reduced by an average of 15%
State pharmacies to open in sparsely populated areas of Leningrad Oblast
Eli Lilly to invest $1.3 billion to develop AI-powered obesity drugs
vademec
