Nearmedic Pharma defends Kagocel's reputation in court

On November 12, 2020, the Arbitration Court of the city of Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad region satisfied the claim of Nearmedic Pharma LLC to protect its business reputation. The claim was induced by the material made public on 28.01.2020 in Doctor Peter online magazine and containing untrue information about the composition and non-existent side effects of the company's antiviral drug Kagocel.

The interview containing allegations was given by Alexander Khadzhidis, an associate professor at St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University, who was described in the article as "Chief clinical pharmacologist of Saint Petersburg", although such a position, according to the Russian Ministry of Health, does not exist as established by the court.

The article also absurdly claimed that Kagocel had been used for a long time as a contraceptive and caused violation of spermatogenesis.

"The claims about the contraceptive effect and insecurity of Kagocel are false, absurd, untrue, and discrediting the business reputation of the manufacturer, which has been proved during the trial by providing necessary expert opinions and other evidence. We decided to turn to the court of justice to protect not only our reputation, but also the right of consumers to receive reliable medical information about the drug we produce. We are happy that the court had considered our arguments and has come to a fair decision," said Oleg Terekhov, head of the Nearmedic Group's Legal Support Department.

The Arbitration Court of the city of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region found that the substance gossypol is not an international non-proprietary name (INN) of the drug Kagocel, and is not included in its composition in its free form. In addition, the drug Kagocel has never been used and is not used as a contraceptive. Neither has been established any impact of the use of Kagocel on the human reproductive function.

Satisfying the claims of Nearmedic Pharma LLC, the court ordered A. K. Khadzhidis, the authors of the material, and the owner of the online media Doctor Peter and Fontanka.ru, the AZHUR-MEDIA JSC, to remove from the materials of the published article all information that is not true and discredits the business reputation of the Kagocel manufacturer. In addition, the court ordered to publish in the same online media an official refutation of false information about Kagocel and about the author who had made false statements.

Taking into account the results of the trial, the Nearmedic Group intends to continue active protection of its business reputation from unscrupulous competitors.

The safety of Kagocel had been proven in numerous clinical trials, as well as in the long-term practical use of the drug for the treatment and prevention of influenza and ARVI.

The drug was registered by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation on 09.01.2003 in full compliance with the Russian legislation. It is recommended by the Russian Ministry of Health for the treatment and prevention of influenza and ARVI ,and is included in the List of vital and essential medicines for medical use (VED) approved by the Russian Government.

The Niarmedic Group is a group of companies created on the basis of Nearmedic Plus LLC, a Russian pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and medical company that has been operating since 1989. The company's plant in the Kaluga region produces the Kagocel antiviral drug, xMark PLUS test systems for genetic identification and kinship establishment, test systems for COVID-19 diagnostics, and is preparing for launching a line for the production of the MAKOZINON anti-tuberculosis drug. The Nearmedic Group also supplies laboratory equipment by world manufacturers to the domestic market, provides its servicing, and develops a network of multi-specialty clinics.

17.11.2020 12:00:00