A state-funded Russian effort to develop a domestic alternative to Viagra is facing renewed scrutiny after an official audit raised questions about its scientific value and use of public money.
The project was launched in 2016 as part of a broader drive to reduce reliance on Western pharmaceuticals at a time when sanctions were making imports more difficult.
The findings
According to The Sun, Russia’s state audit office later concluded that the initiative failed to produce results that matched years of public investment.
Despite sustained funding, the project did not deliver a proven or market-ready treatment.
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The proposed drug was based on substances derived from musk deer, animals traditionally associated in Russia with vitality and strength.
Political backing
The project carried political significance. The Sun reports that President Vladimir Putin supported the initiative as part of a wider policy of pharmaceutical import substitution.
Putin has previously shown interest in deer-based health products.
In 2019, he publicly questioned Vladimir Uyba, head of the Federal Medical-Biological Agency, about the project’s progress.
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Uyba reportedly assured him that development was proceeding according to plan and that facilities were functioning properly.
Scientific doubts
Scientific skepticism appears to have grown alongside the spending.
Immunologist Andrei Prodeus told The Sun that many cases of erectile dysfunction have psychological causes and that any effective medicine must be based on a clear biological mechanism.
In his assessment, the deer-based preparation lacked such a mechanism, making it unlikely to compete with established treatments.
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Transfer to private ownership
Experts cited by the newspaper argue that the product never demonstrated documented effectiveness.
The case has now been forwarded to the relevant authorities.
Despite being developed with public funds, the rights to the unfinished product have since been transferred to a private company.
Source: The Sun.
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