For many years, a distinct genre has existed in Ukraine’s information space: anonymous “investigations” that contain no facts, documents, editorial accountability, or legal responsibility. This is precisely the format in which the websites “Non-Stop” and “Antikor” have operated, regularly publishing manipulative content about Farmak and other pharmaceutical market participants. At the same time, holding such resources legally accountable is extremely difficult.
The pattern is familiar: a sensational headline, emotional accusations, plenty of rhetoric—and no evidence.
Farmak conducts its operations strictly within the legal framework, fully complying with Ukrainian legislation and international regulations.
And as practice repeatedly demonstrates, false claims rarely withstand scrutiny when confronted with facts.
Below are several illustrative examples of such manipulations and the facts that refute them.
FALSE CLAIM 1: “Farmak Supplies Medicines to Russia”
For years, “Non-Stop” and “Antikor” have promoted one of their favorite narratives: that a Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturer continues to operate in Russia. Their publications contain dramatic allegations about “supply schemes,” “sanctions evasion,” and “medicines for occupiers.” As usual, however, no evidence is provided.
FACT 1
Back in 2014, following the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Farmak ceased the operations of its representative office in the Russian Federation. Since February 24, 2022, Farmak has not made a single shipment of medicinal products to either Russia or the Republic of Belarus. All registration certificates for Farmak medicines in Russia have been revoked, making their official circulation in the aggressor state impossible.
The authors of these false claims ask readers to believe in a complex international scheme allegedly involving EU countries, Belarus, Moldova, Türkiye, dozens of intermediaries, shell companies, document substitutions, relabeling of products, and even cryptocurrency payments. Yet they fail to provide a single supporting document, customs declaration, batch number, transport record, or any other evidence.
Moreover, exporting medicines to the European Union is an exceptionally complex process. A Ukrainian pharmaceutical manufacturer must first undergo an audit by a European regulatory authority; then obtain product registration in the EU—a process that can take several years; and finally ensure batch-by-batch quality control at the border, as well as the involvement of a qualified person responsible for quality assurance within the EU. Given that Russian requirements for medicine quality, efficacy, and supporting evidence are significantly less stringent than European standards, such a scheme would be economically and logistically irrational.
FALSE CLAIM 2: “Farmak Sells Medicines to the Military at Triple Markups”
As “evidence,” the authors refer to a procurement conducted for Military Unit A4615 in March 2025 and mention three products: ALADIN-FARMAK, ATORVAKOR, and LIPSTER.
Specifically, they claim that:
ALADIN-FARMAK was allegedly supplied at UAH 0.96 per tablet while its “retail price” was UAH 0.33;
ATORVAKOR was allegedly procured at nearly twice the retail price;
LIPSTER was allegedly sold to the military at a higher price than in retail pharmacy chains.
Based on these incorrect comparisons, the authors conclude that there is supposedly a “systematic overpricing” in public procurement.
FACT 2
All procurements were conducted in full compliance with Ukrainian legislation through Prozorro Market.
The actual contract prices were either lower than or equal to the officially registered prices listed in the National Catalogue of Medicinal Product Prices:
ALADIN-FARMAK, 10 mg tablets, pack of 50
Registered MoH price: UAH 45.50 excl. VAT
Contract price: UAH 45.00 excl. VAT (UAH 0.90 per tablet)
Retail price: UAH 45.50 excl. VAT
ATORVAKOR, 10 mg tablets, pack of 60
Registered MoH price: UAH 256.00 excl. VAT
Contract price: UAH 246.00 excl. VAT (UAH 4.10 per tablet)
Retail price: UAH 247.50 excl. VAT
LIPSTER, 5% cream, 5 g tube
Maximum wholesale price: UAH 95.86 excl. VAT
Contract price: UAH 95.00 excl. VAT
Retail price: UAH 101.00 excl. VAT
Therefore, allegations of “triple markups” or “price inflation” are manipulative and unsupported by any factual evidence.
FALSE CLAIM 3: “Farmak Monopolizes the Market”
“Non-Stop” and “Antikor” claim that Farmak allegedly “controls the entire supply chain—from manufacturing to pharmacies” through cooperation with distributors BADM LLC and Optima-Pharm LTD, thereby “eliminating competition” and creating a “market without a market.”
FACT 3
Farmak works with more than 300 counterparties across Ukraine. These include major national distributors such as BADM and Optima, as well as medium-sized and smaller companies. We have always maintained cooperation with a broad network of partners, ensuring stable and consistent availability of our medicines throughout the country.
Furthermore, Farmak primarily manufactures generic medicines—that is, more affordable alternatives to original products. Generics foster competition in the pharmaceutical market and help reduce treatment costs for patients.
It is also worth reminding the authors of these “investigations” that Ukraine has a state-regulated medicine pricing system, including the National Catalogue of Prices, which establishes maximum prices for medicinal products.
As a result, claims regarding “manual price-setting” or a “market without competition” represent yet another sensational allegation unsupported by facts.
Moreover, Farmak’s market share has remained at approximately 6% in recent years, which is entirely inconsistent with claims of market monopolization.
FALSE CLAIM 4: “Farmak Is Waging Patent Wars and Illegally Using Bayer’s Clinical Data”
“Non-Stop” and “Antikor” attempt to portray a pharmaceutical patent dispute as yet another major scandal. Their articles include claims about alleged “control over clinical data,” “market blocking,” and the “unlawful launch of generics.”
The authors describe the situation surrounding rivaroxaban in highly emotional terms, creating the impression that Farmak violated the law during the registration of its medicinal product PHOENIX.
FACT 4
This is not true.
Bayer’s patent protection for the active substance rivaroxaban expired on December 11, 2025.
The state registration of the active pharmaceutical ingredient Rivaroxaban and the finished medicinal product PHOENIX was completed only after the patent protection period had ended.
All procedures, including the submission of applications for state registration, were carried out in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.
The preparation of the registration dossier was conducted in compliance with the Bolar exemption, an internationally recognized legal mechanism incorporated into Ukrainian law. This provision allows pharmaceutical companies to conduct the necessary studies, develop registration dossiers and products, and submit applications for generic medicines before patent expiration.
This mechanism enables patients to gain faster access to more affordable generic medicines once patent protection has expired.
Therefore, attempts to portray lawful and globally accepted pharmaceutical industry practices as “chaos” or “illegal control over clinical data” are simply another example of emotional manipulation replacing factual analysis.
This series will continue.
Because while Farmak continues to manufacture medicines, “Antikor” and “Non-Stop” consistently continue to manufacture new false claims.
