Russia can bring pharma innovations to market with AI, support - SPIEF

ST. PETERSBURG, June 3. /TASS/. Russia will be able to bring domestic pharmaceutical innovations to the world market if it combines artificial intelligence, modern technological platforms, targeted regulatory and financial support, and creates guaranteed demand for new drugs, participants in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) said.

"Pharmaceutical innovations are impossible today without modern technological platforms and the widespread use of artificial intelligence," said Katerina Tikhonova, the CEO of Innopraktika company.

Elena Popova, the Deputy General Director of the Russian Science Foundation noted that the Russian Science Foundation supports research throughout the almost entire research and process cycle of product development. Every year, the foundation supports more than 8,000 projects involving more than 800 organizations and more than 55,000 researchers.

Sergey Glagolev, the Russian Deputy Minister of Health, noted that the Russian regulatory system and the competencies of the pharmaceutical industry already make it possible to produce and localize platform solutions for innovative drugs.

Guaranteed demand remains a key problem for the industry, the official said. Government approaches should create incentives and alternative mechanisms where such demand cannot be met directly, he stressed. This is necessary for investments in innovative developments to become attractive, Glagolev added.

The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) is taking place on June 3-6. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.