More than 10.5 million rubles were allocated for medicines for Nizhny Novgorod residents with severe allergies.

      September 16, 2025 17:14

      [155]

      Society

      In 2025, more than 10.5 million rubles from the regional budget have been allocated for the purchase of expensive drugs for residents of the Nizhny Novgorod region with severe allergic diseases, the regional Ministry of Health reported.

      According to the agency, almost 6,000 adults in the region are registered for outpatient follow-up with atopic bronchial asthma, allergic rhinosinusitis, atopic dermatitis and urticaria. Genetically engineered biologic therapies are indicated for patients with the most severe courses of these diseases — on average this is 5–7% of those being monitored.

      “We prescribe such drugs to patients with extremely severe disease when other treatment options do not provide noticeable improvements,” said Elena Melnikova, the chief freelance allergist of the regional Ministry of Health.

      According to her, the cost of a single injection, depending on the condition and the specific drug, ranges from 40,000 to 120,000 rubles, and administration is required monthly for 3–5 years.

      The allergist clarified that genetically engineered therapy drugs for this category of patients have been provided free of charge since 2008, and in some cases are purchased under federal programs.

      She emphasized that only original drugs with proven efficacy and safety are used in treatment. Each year the share of medicines developed and produced in Russia is growing: while 10 years ago almost everything had to be purchased abroad at inflated prices, over the past three years the share of domestic drugs in the region has noticeably increased. In particular, patients with extremely severe bronchial asthma and spontaneous urticaria receive a Russian drug based on recombinant DNA.

      According to Elena Melnikova, there is currently no shortage of genetically engineered biologic therapy in the region: all patients are provided with the necessary treatment in full. Moreover, over the past four years there has been a steady decrease in the number of patients with severe uncontrolled forms of allergic diseases.

      It should be recalled that improving access to medical care, including drug therapy, is one of the key priorities of the national project “Longer and Active Life.” The new national project is a continuation of the “Healthcare” project and is being implemented on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It covers all areas of the sector’s work — from modernization of primary care to rehabilitation.

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