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Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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As it turns out, Ukrainian citizens are being offered treatment for viral diseases with drugs that do not contain an active substance and which are essentially a “dummy”; such an unexpected statement was made by the vice-president of the All-Ukrainian Council for the Protection of Patients’ Rights, Yevgeny Naishtetik.
According to E. Naishtetik, the annual market volume of drugs that are registered by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine as medicinal products, but do not contain an active substance, and, therefore, there can be no talk of any medicinal properties, is approximately 300 million UAH. Sales of just one drug, Anaferon, a dummy that is advertised as a full-fledged antiviral drug and is also recommended for children during the period of seasonal illness, is about 84 million UAH per year. In general, sales of "empty" antiviral drugs reach 300 million UAH. All this was discussed at a round table meeting held on September 27. The vice president also said that such well-known antiviral drugs as Engystol, Anaferon, Aflubin, and Oscillococcinum do not contain a single atom of the active substance. According to the instructions, the drug contains a certain substance in a diluted form. Judging by the dilution concentration, the content of such a substance in the drug is so insignificant that it is reduced to almost zero. However, according to commercials and posters, all these substances not only help effectively fight viruses, but are also an excellent preventive measure. Doctors and pharmacists also recommend these drugs during the period of exacerbation of seasonal diseases.
Manufacturers position their drugs as broad-spectrum antivirals. In such homeopathic remedies, antiviral activity is achieved by increasing the body's defenses, but it is not known in scientific circles how antibodies to interferon can help not only in the treatment, but also in the prevention of viral diseases. The therapeutic effect of such drugs is usually due to the placebo effect (i.e. the therapeutic effect of the drug is directly related to the patient's strong belief that the drug will help him). In addition, scientists cannot explain the physiological mechanism declared by the manufacturers, according to which antibodies to human interferons have immunomodulatory effects. But still, the Ministry of Health registers these drugs as effective means for the treatment of viral infections, hepatitis, etc., which, in fact, is a massive deception of consumers.
Also, Yevgeny Nayshtetik noted that the total volume of state purchases of medicinal products is approximately 4 billion UAH, in particular, 2 billion UAH are spent from state funds for the sale of centralized purchases, which occur within the framework of the state program, and 2 billion UAH are taken from local budgets. In 2012, the volume of sales in pharmacies amounted to 31.6 billion UAH, and 90% is what people buy independently, often under the influence of advertising slogans.
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