Petrovax Pharm to launch exports of medicinal products to South Africa

The Russian biopharmaceutical company Petrovax Pharm has obtained marketing authorization for its original medicinal product Polyoxidonium^® in the Republic of Botswana. This is the company’s first step toward entering the South African market. Going forward, Petrovax Pharm plans to expand its presence in the region, including the market of the Republic of South Africa.

The registration of Polyoxidonium in Botswana was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the national regulator and included a comprehensive assessment of the registration dossier and product samples. One of the key factors behind the successful completion of the procedure was the product’s existing registration in Slovakia, confirming its compliance with European requirements for quality, safety, and efficacy. The product has been in use in that country for more than 15 years. A further advantage was the EU Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certificate held by the Petrovax Pharm manufacturing site.

In bringing the product to the Botswana market, the company took into account the specific features of the region’s epidemiological situation. Polyoxidonium^® has an extensive body of clinical evidence for use in diseases relevant to Southern African countries, which makes the product valuable for the region’s healthcare system.

The development of exports remains one of the key priorities of the company’s strategy. In 2025, Petrovax Pharm’s export sales exceeded 2 billion rubles.

Petrovax Pharm is among the largest Russian exporters of original medicinal products and vaccines. The company supplies 12 brands to 12 countries of the EU and the EAEU, and now plans deliveries to South Africa as well. The next directions of its international expansion will be Egypt, West African countries, Vietnam, and Middle Eastern countries. According to Ilya Sokolov, expanding its delivery geography enables the company to steadily develop its international presence and bring its proprietary products to new foreign markets.

The company’s export portfolio includes the original products Polyoxidonium^® and Longidaza^®, the Grippol^® family of vaccines, and a number of other products. At the end of 2026, the company plans to begin international supplies of biotechnological products, expanding its export potential with innovative products.

Background information

Polyoxidonium^® (azoximer bromide) is an original Russian medicinal product from Petrovax Pharm that is widely used in clinical practice in Russia and abroad as part of combination therapy for acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) and ENT (ear, nose, and throat) diseases in adults and children from 6 months of age. Polyoxidonium^® helps to combat the infection at the site of infection — on the mucosa of the nasopharynx and oropharynx — reduces the duration of catarrhal and intoxication symptoms, and improves well-being from the first days of treatment. The product is included in the list of Vital and Essential Drugs (VED). In 2026, Polyoxidonium^® was included in the updated recommendations of the Euro-Asian Society for Infectious Diseases on immunotropic therapy of ARVI in children as one of the drugs of choice that helps to successfully address respiratory symptoms and intoxication, and to support local respiratory tract immunity.