Russian Cancer Drugs For Home Market?

Russian specialists are reported to have developed a number of newanticancer preparations to be launched by the domestic drug industry, according to sources at a joint session in Moscow devoted to the interim results of two state programs, one for the promotion of domestic anticancer drugs. However, no details were available as to the nature of the drugs.

It was also reported to the session that testing of what were described as "complex mineral preparations" for tumor therapy had been successful.

The other state program discussed by boards of the Health Ministry and the State Committee for new Technologies related to the development of cancer management techniques. The two cancer control programs were started in early 1995 in response to data showing that malignancies continued to be a major cause of death in Russia, second only to cardiovascular disorders. However, media reports suggest that not much progress was made because of cash shortages until the Moscow city government started to invest in both projects.