Moscow Region Government and Petrovax Pharm sign cooperation agreement

Moscow, May 28, 2025. — The Government of the Moscow Region and the biopharmaceutical company Petrovax Pharm have signed a Cooperation Agreement at the Russia and the World: Trends of Healthy Longevity forum. The partnership aims to foster entrepreneurship and innovative technologies in the Moscow Region and to implement Russia’s first full-cycle manufacturing project for a vaccine against meningococcal infection, including in-house synthesis of the drug substance.

The project will significantly advance the development of the regional pharmaceutical industry and, most importantly, will ensure access to affordable and effective protection against this life-threatening infection. The new partnership will also strengthen the healthcare system and contribute to the broader economic growth of the Moscow Region.

Petrovax Pharm’s planned production capabilities, which are unique for the country, will fully meet domestic demand for the vaccine and enable export opportunities, including to CIS countries.

A manufacturing facility localized in Russia will make vaccination against the deadly disease more affordable: the cost of the drug is projected to be at least 20% lower than that of the currently registered quadrivalent conjugate polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine.

The new quadrivalent conjugate polysaccharide vaccine against meningococcal infection serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 is currently undergoing clinical trials in Russia, with registration expected in early 2026. The vaccine was registered in China in 2021 and has already been used to immunize more than 3 million people. Clinical trials conducted^[1] in China has demonstrated a favorable safety profile, and has received approval for pediatric use^[2].

The Cooperation Agreement also includes provisions for the exchange of experience and joint efforts to improve legislation, creating a favorable environment for entrepreneurship and the development of innovative technologies in the Moscow Region.

Reference information

The quadrivalent conjugate polysaccharide vaccine against meningococcal infection of serogroups A, C, Y and W-135 was approved for use in China in 2021. The vaccine has successfully completed phase III clinical trials. The vaccine is currently being investigated for authorization in several countries, including Russia, Indonesia and India. This studies include over 5,000 participants.

Meningitis^[3] is a severe disease with a high mortality rate and potential long-term consequences. Bacterial meningitis caused by meningococcal infection is a leading cause of the most severe form of meningitis, resulting in approximately one in ten patients’ fatalities and severe complications affecting one in five patients. The disease can be fatal within 24 hours, necessitating prompt medical intervention. Young children, teens and young adults, as well as those with compromised immune systems, are more vulnerable to the disease.

Meningococcal outbreaks can result in a substantial rise in reported cases and fatalities within a brief time frame. In the first months of 2025, the number of cases increased by 260% compared to the same period in 2024^[4].

The best method for long-term prevention of the disease is vaccination. Pursuant to the Strategy for the Development of Immunoprophylaxis of Infectious Diseases up to 2035, the inclusion of the meningococcal vaccine in the National Schedule of Preventive Vaccinations is planned for 2025. Vaccination has already been added to the Schedules of Preventive Vaccinations in several regions, and it is also carried out based on epidemic indicators in the centers of infection.