Two sides of Meldonium

After the scandal with Russian athletes, sales of Mildronate grew at times.

The doping scandal is becoming a decisive event for athletes, not all of whom are able to return to their careers after the shame, and for the country whose sports cordons were weakened on the eve of international competitions, and even for banned drugs. After reports that in early March in the samples of Russian athletes found illegal Meldonium, sales of the drug for a short time increased by different data in more than two or even ten times. Not so long ago, the product was associated with the consumer with another scandal, negatively affecting its sales. Now we can not doubt that the schedule of sales of the drug will again go up.

Sharp takeoff
Sales of Mildronate (INN meldonium) in tablets in a dosage of 250 mg from February 15 to March 15 this year. increased by 80% compared to December 2015, at a dosage of 500 mg - by 120-130%, said commercial director of the pharmaceutical company "Mizar-N" Arthur Belenko. "December was chosen as a comparison point as the month that demonstrates the maximum orders. Ampulated Mildronate showed no growth, "he said.

Spent Scheme
The expectation of sales growth is based on the similar experience of the pharma market. In 2006, Russian biathlete Olga Pyleva, who won a silver medal in the individual race at the Olympics in Turin, Italy, was deprived of the award and disqualified for two years for using Phentropil, the original Russian design. The drug was listed as banned after the representative of the Olympic Committee told WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) that Russian athletes take it as doping. The career of the sportswoman crashed, the product produced by JSC "Valenta Pharmaceutics", on the contrary, has survived the heyday, demonstrating a significant increase in sales. The reason for this is associated with the popularization of its doping properties.

The scandal with Mildronate began in a similar way. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) received information that athletes from Eastern Europe use it as doping - it is only spread in this region. Since October 2014 Meldonium has been included in the list of drugs for which WADA monitors. At the end of the same year, according to the results of tests of urine samples in 2.2% of samples, a drug was found, all of them belonged to athletes from Eastern Europe.

In early March, meldonium was found in dope-samples of figure skaters Ekaterina Bobrova, skater Pavel Kulizhnikov, short track-players Semyon Elistratov and Ekaterina Konstantinova, rider Eduard Vorganov, volleyball player Alexander Markin, biathlete Eduard Latypov, rugby players Alena and Alexei Mikhaltsov. Tennis player Maria Sharapova voluntarily confessed to using Mildronate. Given the political situation of the past few years, the scale of the scandal has turned out to be much more serious than with Phentropil. However, experts are not ready to predict Mildronate the same success of sales, primarily because the properties of the drugs are completely different.

Not Phentropropyl

Phenotropil, as experts say, is a "serious drug", which is indicated in diseases of the central nervous system, intoxication, neurotic states, depression, psycho-organic syndromes, and due to the psychostimulating effect and increased endurance, it is able to influence physical achievements. "Mildronate is used as a second-line drug in cardiology and neurology, it improves the quality of life by reducing symptoms," explained Mehman Mammadov, head of the Laboratory of Assessment and Correction of Cardiovascular Risk. The drug increases the endurance of the body, but does not stimulate, he stressed. The manufacturer of Mildronate - the concern Grindeks (Latvia) - also insists that meldoniy can not improve sports results. Minister of Sports Vitaly Mutko and did call Mildronate "worthless". Nevertheless, from January 1, 2016, the substance is listed as prohibited WADA in both competitive and out-of-competition periods.

The fact that the purpose of testing doping samples were representatives of Russia, is no longer surprising. The ability to deprive the country's strongest athletes of the right to participate in international competitions is probably one of the types of sanctions that allow the US to strike at the image of the country. But how did the drug whose doping properties unanimously reject the experts got into the "black" list? "It was noticed that the athletes used the substance to improve performance," WADA spokesman Ben Nichols replied to the "FV" request. However, evidence has not been submitted so far, although the Anti-Doping Code states that a substance or method is considered for inclusion on the list in the presence of medical or other scientific evidence, a pharmacological effect or experience indicating that they, or in combination with other substances or methods can improve athletic performance. According to the representatives of Grindeks, the replies to the inquiries about the justifications of the committee's decision have not yet been received.

Who is guilty
How did it happen that the athletes continued to take the drug that was suspected by WADA from the autumn of 2014? "On September 16, 2015, the executive committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency approved a prohibited list of substances and methods in 2016. In the fall of 2015, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency brought this information to the doctors of the national teams, the leaders of the subordinate organizations of FMBA of Russia were informed," in the department. On December 17, 2015, the head of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation signed an order No. 1194 "On approving lists of substances and (or) methods prohibited for use in sports". Now, FMBA conducts an internal audit, the reasons for the emergence of positive doping tests. Athletes, in turn, took a position from frank confession and statements that the medication was completed long before January 1 of this year, to suspicion that the Meldonium was planted by him.

Lines of fate
Until now, the name "Mildronate" was clearly associated with a loud trial, stretching for several years. In 2009, after applying a solution of ampoules with the inscription "Mildronate" in 23 patients, adverse reactions were identified, two women were killed. As it turned out later, Listeron appeared in ampoules, which possesses other pharmacological properties. Five employees of Sotex were prosecuted (in 2008, JSC Grindeks concluded an agreement with the company on the production of 20% of Mildronate in the Russian market with injections). After all the vicissitudes, when the materials of the case were transferred from one court to another, and the judges could not determine the severity of the punishment, the defendants were released from responsibility in connection with the expiry of the limitation period.

Thanks to the doping scandal, Mildronate, previously associated with the consumer with a danger, has now acquired in his eyes the properties of a product that helps to discover new resources of the body. "It turned out very powerful advertising Mildronate. Now much depends on how the situation will develop. After all, the information is spread that the drug is addictive. Then the demand will fall, "said commercial director of the pharmacy chain" Kalina Farm "Artem Vardanyan.

Anyway, now the hype around Mildronate, Grindex's statements about its intention to fight for the exclusion of its product from the "black" list play into the hands of the drug and its manufacturer. As they say, in PR there is no superfluous.