The Center for Corporate Transportation Services reports that pharmaceutical cargo volumes for export surged 2.3-fold to 5.1 thousand tons during January-August 2025. "Friendly nations dominated our pharmaceutical exports: India took 57%, Pakistan 26%, and Kazakhstan 12%," the company stated.
RZD Logistics is now exploring transportation solutions for medical raw materials, veterinary drugs, and cosmetics—both for international trade and domestic distribution—as part of the Pharmexpress project.
Four Russian companies drive 60-70% of pharmaceutical exports: BIOCAD, Geropharm, Pharmstandard, and R-Pharm, notes Konstantin Lebedev, International Business professor at Financial University.
"R-Pharm dominates Asian and African markets, shipping generic antibiotics and cancer treatments that account for up to 40% of total exports. BIOCAD focuses on vaccines and immunotherapy—seeing 25% demand growth—while Geropharm supplies insulin and diabetes medications popular in Latin America," he explained.
Lebedev expects Russian pharmaceutical exports to maintain 10-15% growth through 2025. “Looking ahead, we'll see increased focus on biosimilars and vaccines—potentially 40% of exports—plus partnerships with local manufacturers to navigate sanctions and supply chain digitalization to cut costs.”
Pharmaceutical shipping conditions could not be more stringent, since most drugs—especially biologics, vaccines, and insulin—need precise temperature control (between 2-8°C), the expert noted.
According to Lebedev, refrigerated containers, GPS trackers, temperature sensors, and strict supply chain control push logistics costs 20-50% higher compared to ordinary goods. Yet process digitalization is already cutting cargo spoilage risks by 30-40%, creating opportunities to scale up pharmaceutical export of such products.
Yulia Prokofyeva
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