In Russia, clinical trials have been completed for a locally produced drug used to treat leukemia, called "Utzhefra," and it is expected to be officially registered in 2026.
This was stated by Russian academician Elena Parovichnikova, Director General of the National Medical Research Center for Hematology of the Russian Ministry of Health, during a conference held to mark the centenary of the center's founding.
Parovicnikova said: "We have completed the first clinical trial in the country of using CAR-T cells directed against the CD19 antigen, to treat patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as well as CD19-positive (CD19+) B-cell lymphomas."
She noted that a package of documents necessary for registering the drug is currently being prepared, and it is expected to be officially registered in 2026.
The drug "Otzifra" for treating malignant blood tumors will be free.
Parovicnikova added: "As we know, the government guarantee program will include a clause under which it commits to funding all cases of CAR-T cell therapy use for patients, so that the treatment is available free of charge."
It is worth noting that the Russian Ministry of Health had previously announced, citing the Russian National Research Center of Radiology (NMIC), that a 60-year-old patient in the Kursk region of Russia, suffering from skin cancer (melanoma), received the first personalized vaccine of its kind based on mRNA technology, in a step that is considered a qualitative leap in the treatment of malignant tumors by training the immune system to target cancer cells precisely.
