The paper considers the specifics of innovation activity and scientific and technological development in R&D intensive pharmaceutical industry. A generalized comparison of Russian and foreign pharmaceutical industry during the current COVID-19 pandemic is carried out. The dynamics of the domestic pharmaceutical market development is analyzed; the trends and persisting problems are studied. The potential of growth of domestic pharmaceutical industry with adequate interaction of state and business in entering the world markets was shown. It is pointed out that both abroad and in Russia during the pandemic the industry became one of the few where research costs had increased significantly. The paper shows that support policy for pharmaceutical industry in Russia over the next 10 years will be emphasized on the creation of own innovative drugs (including biotech types), and generics for the domestic market. The new ways of production and digitalization of the pharmaceutical industry remain outside the current support measures.

This article was prepared within the framework of the project “Post-crisis world order: Challenges and technologies, competition and cooperation” under the grant of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement no. 075-15-2020-783).