New blow for Putin’s men as US Viagra maker halts supplies of erectile dysfunction pill to Russia over Ukraine invasion

• Pharmaceutical corporation Viatris has suspended its supplies to Russia
• The Russian ministry vowed to ensure the domestic manufacture of the pill

Vladimir Putin has suffered a ‘blow below the belt’ as supplies of Viagra tablets have been suspended to Russia.

American global pharmaceutical and healthcare corporation Viatris, the brand owner of the erectile dysfunction pill, has halted supplies to Russia, the country’s Industry and Trade Ministry said.

Russia was notified of the pharmaceutical company’s decision to suspend supplies last year, following the invasion of Ukraine, reports said.

‘Viatris LLC informed us about the suspension of the supply of the Viagra drug in the dosage form of a tablet,’ the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade said.

The Russian ministry immediately vowed to ensure the domestic manufacture of drugs for the country’s men with the same ‘active ingredient’, stressing this was already underway.

Russia was notified of the pharmaceutical company’s decision to suspend supplies last year, following the invasion of Ukraine, reports said

Russia’s health ministry also claimed pharmacies were not running low on stocks of the pill. 

Ahead of the Viagra ban, Russian companies making male importance drugs with sildenafil – the non branded name for the pill – have increased production by 11 per cent between January and September 2022, reported Interfax.

Sales of the erectile disfunction drug in the same period had risen 15 per cent. 

Russian news agency Tass reported that 36 companies in Russia currently have some 49 registration certificates for the domestic manufacture of the sildenafil drug. 

A comment on the news of the suspended supply read: ‘This is a blow below the belt from the West against Putin and Russian men.’

In a quarterly report in September, Viatris said: ‘the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine did not have a material impact on our business as the combined total revenues for both countries were approximately one percent of consolidated total revenues’.

But the company admitted ‘trade controls, sanctions, supply chain and staffing challenges and other economic considerations related to the conflict have impacted our operations in these markets’.

The pharmaceutical company’s report warned this ‘may negatively impact our financial results in future periods.

‘In addition, a significant escalation or expansion of the conflict’s current scope may have a negative impact on our operations and financial results in future periods.’

Source: Read Full Article