Russia’s Ministry of Health and Social Development has submitted to the government a bill completely banning gifts to officials of all ranks, as well as to the staff members of the Bank of Russia.

Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries plans to invest up to $100 million in a drug production plant in Russia as it aims to more than triple Russian sales by 2015.

The Russian government will provide 40 billion roubles for the modernisation of seven leading medical institutes until 2014.

As of 2007, only one out of every five drugs purchased in Russia was produced domestically, and only one of the top 20 producers of drugs sold domestically was a Russian firm.

Sandoz, the world's second largest generic medicine company, is still mulling its options for owning a plant in Russia, company chief Jeff George said in an interview.