Starvation of contrasts: the missing X-ray drug will be available in the fall
An X-ray drug based on barium sulfate, which patients from several regions of Russia have complained about, will become available only in the fall. Currently, it is produced by only one company, Vips—Med, Izvestia found out. However, according to Roszdravnadzor, a licensing check is currently underway at this site, which should be completed only in September 2025. And then the first batch will be able to be released within a few weeks to two months, experts said. The information about where the drug is missing and how it is planned to resolve the issue of its availability is in the Izvestia article.
Where is the missing barium sulfate
Drugs based on barium sulfate, the shortage of which has been reported since June 2025 by patients from at least four Russian regions (Samara, Bryansk, Tyumen and Ulyanovsk regions), will begin to be produced after September 2025, when the licensing inspection of the Ministry of Industry and Trade is completed at the production site, the press service of Roszdravnadzor told Izvestia.
"Please tell me where in Ulyanovsk you can find barium sulfate for X-rays. I can't find it anywhere," one of the residents of the city writes on a social network.
In the Tyumen region, local patients reported that their X-ray appointments were postponed and they did not specify the exact time when the procedure would be performed.
"The clinic promised to schedule a procedure, they didn't tell me how long to wait, they didn't specify," one of their local residents wrote.
Izvestia sent inquiries to the regions asking them to confirm the shortage of the drug and to inform them what measures are being taken to eliminate it.
The use of barium sulfate makes it possible to clearly visualize the contours of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines and identify possible pathologies: ulcers, tumors, anatomical narrowing or protrusion of intestinal tissues, said Alexey Nikitin, head of medical projects and innovations at Invitro. The procedure is prescribed according to the indications of a gastroenterologist, oncologist or therapist, most often if gastrointestinal diseases are suspected.
The last shipment of the drug was in January 2025, according to the RNC Pharma analytical company: at that time, the Vips-Med pharmaceutical company supplied 2,030 packages.
"The volume of market launch has dropped by 70% over the year," said Nikolay Bespalov, Director of Development at RNC Pharma. — A year ago, deliveries were regular, shipments were carried out every month."
Why is barium sulfate missing?
Vips-Med (which only produces barium sulfate) has temporarily suspended the release of the drug due to the launch of a new production site, Roszdravnadzor said.
"The site is currently undergoing a licensing audit by the Ministry of Industry and Trade," reads the response to the editorial's request. "The expected completion date is September 2025."
The Ministry of Industry and Trade confirmed to Izvestia that the agency is currently considering an application for amendments to the register of licenses from Vips-Med. It concerns the addition of new works on the production of dosage forms "powder" and "drops".
After the resumption of production, the pharmaceutical company plans to produce about 2 thousand packages of medicines based on barium sulfate per month, Roszdravnadzor added.
Izvestia sent a request to Vips-Med asking for clarification on when production could resume.
The release of the first batches of drugs is possible two to three weeks after the end of the inspection, according to one of the pharmaceutical industry representatives, who wished to remain anonymous. According to him, such a deadline is quite realistic if the Ministry of Industry and Trade does not have any critical comments on the production site.
"If there are any complaints, the company will not be able to resume production until they are eliminated," he stressed.
Sergey Shulyak, director of the DSM Group analytical company, noted that production is unlikely to be launched immediately after the inspection is completed: it may take several weeks to complete the necessary documentation — acts, protocols, and compliance reports.
— And then you will need to release trial batches of goods on the line, check them. Only after that, it is possible to produce drugs that will be put on the market," he said.
Thus, the first batch can be released at least a couple of months after the end of the inspections.
The remains of drugs based on barium sulfate in Russia now amount to 3.1 thousand packages, Roszdravnadzor reported.
"The average provision in Russia is 3.8 months, including 2.7 months for medical organizations," the department noted.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade estimated the availability of about 3.4 thousand packages, the agency referred to data from monitoring the movement of medicines.
"This corresponds to about 22% of the average annual consumption of these drugs for 2022-2024," they noted.
On average, about 4 million X-ray examinations of the digestive tract are performed in Russia every year, the interviewed doctors told Izvestia. That is, on average, about 300,000 such surveys are conducted in the regions per month, but their number varies depending on the population.
The Ministry of Health sent an appeal to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to resume production of the drug as soon as possible, the press service of Roszdravnadzor added.
What analogues does the missing drug have?
There are no direct analogues to drugs based on barium sulfate, said gastroenterologist Andrey Yakushev. But, according to him, along with the X-ray of the gastrointestinal tract, there are other studies — for example, using iodine-containing contrasts, endoscopy and colonoscopy.
— Colonoscopy can detect the most minor changes, including malformations and tumors. It can also be performed, for example, to stop bleeding or take tissue for a biopsy. And with X—rays, it is possible to assess the anatomy of the intestine and the presence of large pathological formations, so these studies are more likely to be complementary," said the gastroenterologist. — Colonoscopy will not replace an X-ray of the gastrointestinal tract.
According to the State Register of Medicines (GRLS), preparations based on barium sulfate can also be produced by Aromasynthesis pharmaceutical company. However, according to RNC Pharma, its drug has not been introduced to the Russian market since 2016.
Izvestia sent a request to Aromasynthesis asking for comment on whether it plans to resume production of drugs.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade reported that the company has adjusted the production plan for such drugs for 2025 and plans to release them to the market in an amount of at least annual demand.
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