Consumables for medical tests have risen in price by 10-20% due to the growth of the exchange rate, market participants told Izvestia. Besides, The outflow of foreign manufacturing companies from Russia may affect the availability of imported equipment. Large networks of medical laboratories claim that All this will affect the cost of analysis. To avoid a shortage of reagents and equipment, it is necessary to simplify the introduction of new medical devices to the domestic market, experts believe – this will allow them to quickly import them from China and India.
Currency fluctuations
Some importing companies have raised prices for reagents used for medical tests. This was reported to Izvestiya by Stanislav Goldberg, Vice-President of the Association NP OPORA.
— Russian suppliers of foreign medical devices are having difficulties due to the growth of the exchange rate. Many of them received products without prepayment, sold them in Russia at the old rate, and will have to pay at the new rate. Because of this, there is an inevitable increase in prices for reagents, which will lead to an increase in prices for analyzes. Already now we see in many companies in our market a forced increase in prices for consumables in the range of 10-20%he noted.
In large laboratories, Izvestia confirmed the revision of prices by suppliers due to the increase in the exchange rate.
– Undoubtedly, the situation also affected us. Our suppliers are currently reviewing prices. As for our prices, we predict that if there are any changes in the near future, they will be insignificant. We will try to keep prices for especially common and significant tests at the current level.— emphasized in the press service of the group of companies “Invitro”.
In the Gemotest laboratory, the dependence of the production process on foreign manufacturers does not exceed 10%, the company told Izvestia.
— Laboratory “Gemotest” does not expect critical changes in prices and supply volumes. Long-term contracts are concluded with partners of the company, providing for force majeure circumstances. However, suppliers have already announced a 15% price increase. If the situation does not develop according to a favorable scenario, we will be forced to respond to new conditions,” said Svetlana Vasilenko, commercial director of Gemotest.
The CMD and LabQuest companies did not promptly respond to Izvestia’s request to increase the cost of analysis.
Like through your fingers
The increase in prices for analyzes will be proportional to the share of imported reagents in the cost of the procedure, says Stanislav Goldberg.
– The most vulnerable area now is laboratory diagnostics. Equipment for laboratories that take samples, we have almost all imported. The problem is that most of their hardware only works with their own reagents and consumables. A significant share of the import market falls on Europe and the United States. And with companies from these countries there are problems with payment and logistics. Therefore, some companies leave the Russian market and stop deliveriesthe expert noted.
The outflow of foreign companies from Russia is really going on, agrees the general director of the company for the registration and research of drugs Clinical Excellence Group, immunologist Nikolai Kryuchkov. First of all, these are American and European firms, he added.
– Everyone will definitely not leave, but it is likely that we will lose a quarter of the companies. Most medical products are produced abroad, including components. Now is the period of market revision before the price transformation,” the expert noted.
The price tag will grow systematically, he believes. In the near future, we should expect a 10-15% increase in the cost of medical devices for laboratories. The same amount will be added in a month or two.the expert believes. At the same time, the marginality of commercial laboratories is very high, that is, the change in the cost of analyzes for citizens may not be so rapid due to the “price” marginsays Nikolai Kryuchkov.
— Laboratories can influence the cost of analyzes by reducing their own margin. However, probably not all companies will take such a measure, so the increase in the price of analyzes may be proportional to the increase in the cost of the purchase, he added.
Izvestia sent inquiries to the Ministry of Health, Roszdravnadzor and the Federal Antimonopoly Service with requests to report whether they record an increase in the cost of medical products and statements about an unlawful increase in prices.
The press service of the Federal Antimonopoly Service replied that there were no requests on this issue. In case of receipt, the service will consider them in due course.
— Prices for medical devices and medical services, including the services of private medical institutions, are not subject to state regulation. Nevertheless, if the FAS Russia establishes signs of a violation of antimonopoly law in the specified market, the service will take appropriate response measures, the FAS noted.
Window to Asia
To avoid shortages due to the exit of a number of companies from Russia, the government should simplify the procedure for bringing new medical devices to the Russian marketsays Stanislav Goldberg. There is a precedent – in 2020, by its decree, the government accelerated the registration of medical devices and obtaining permits for the use of medicines for the treatment of patients with coronavirus.
– If problems with import supplies from Europe and the USA continue, then this can be solved only by switching to the Asian markets – China and India, as well as by own production. Both will require an accelerated entry of new products to the Russian market. Now the process of bringing to the market takes from two yearssays the expert.
An effective measure would be the release of new medical devices on the market under a declaration of manufacturer’s responsibility, followed by monitoring by the regulator. Also, the recognition of internal tests or registrations in the country of the manufacturer would have a positive effect on the timing of putting the product into circulation, noted Stanislav Goldberg. Now the American and European registrations in our country are not valid, and products must be re-registered in Russia before being put on the market, he explained.
Earlier, on March 2, Denis Manturov, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, noted at a meeting with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry that Russia is ready to continue constructive interaction with those foreign companies that do not plan to limit their work. For them, in particular, the rule “the greater the level of localization of production within the country, the more preferences” continues to apply.
On March 4, the State Duma adopted a bill allowing government customers to purchase medicines, medical devices, rehabilitation equipment and services under a simplified procedure and from a single supplier.
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