Carboplatin Vanishes from Voronezh Pharmacies, Sparking Patient Alarms

Cancer patients are sounding the alarm over the disappearance of an important treatment drug — carboplatin. It is considered one of the key drugs in chemotherapy regimens for lung, breast, ovarian, and bladder cancer. Supply disruptions have already been noted in a number of regions, with patients reporting that they have been unable to find the drug for weeks, calling dozens of pharmacies in their cities.

Carboplatin is a second-generation platinum-based antitumor chemotherapy drug. The medication is used to treat various types of cancer. It is included in the list of vital and essential drugs.

Carboplatin is often part of so-called double regimens — combined chemotherapy (using two different treatment methods. — Ed.«s note). This type of treatment is effective due to the platinum component. Removing the drug from the protocol often means not just a »lightened« course, but a real reduction in the chances of tumor response.

For a week now, patients with severe cancer diagnoses have been unable to obtain the drug in pharmacies. The problem has affected not only the capital but also many other regions, such as Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok, Penza, and other cities.

«The drug is available for 19,500 rubles (approx. $195 at current rates) in Moscow, at a pharmacy on Kashirskoye Highway, and at this address they bought other rare medications for my mother,» reports one of the patients in a cancer patient chat.

In Voronezh, carboplatin could not be found in online pharmacies; it is not available in any. A service that shows drug availability in city pharmacies pointed to only one pharmacy in Voronezh where this drug is still available for 1,825 rubles (approx. $18 at current rates) per 45 ml vial, but in small quantities.

Pharmacists do not talk about supply problems, noting only that the drug is not available. On online pharmacy websites, the situation is as follows: in many popular chains, the drug is not available. In some places, it periodically appears, but costs around 20,000 rubles (approx. $200 at current rates).

Officially, authorities have not yet commented on the situation with the drug. But experts in the medical field cite «logistical difficulties» and the consequences of sanctions, which have complicated supplies, as reasons for the disappearance of the important medication. Additional pressure comes from rising raw material costs: platinum-containing drugs have become less profitable for manufacturers, which hits production volumes. This was told to MSK1.RU by oncologist, Candidate of Medical Sciences, chief physician of Ledin Clinic Yevgeny Ledin.

«The drug belongs to second-generation platinum drugs. And precious metals are now becoming more expensive. Platinum is hitting records over the past five years,» the expert noted. «No commercial organization will operate at a loss for long. And, apparently, that is why the production of platinum drugs has significantly decreased. And this is one of the key drugs.»

Another oncologist, Andrei Pylev, noted that there are difficulties with the drug, but according to him, so far they only concern government procurement.

«The issue is precisely with government procurement; in pharmacies, the drug is available, it is accessible. Yes, but, naturally, a significant portion of patients receive treatment and should receive it for free, and I know they are experiencing problems,» the doctor shared. «There are other platinum drugs, but they are somewhat different. There is no full replacement for the drug.»

The last purchase of carboplatin for the Voronezh Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary in the region was conducted at the end of 2024 for an amount of 14 million rubles (approx. $140,000 at current rates). All attempts to purchase the drug during 2025 — the purchase was attempted 6 times from September to December for amounts from 8.7 to 15 million rubles (approx. $87,000 to $150,000 at current rates) — were unsuccessful, with no applications from suppliers to fulfill the contract received.

The editorial office of VORONEZH1.RU has sent a request to the regional Ministry of Health with questions about the availability of the drug in the Voronezh oncology dispensary.