Russian courts heard 288 claims for subsidized treatment of rare diseases in 2025, up from 127 the previous year. Most claims were upheld in full or in part.
The number of lawsuits filed by Russian patients with rare diseases seeking subsidized treatment rose 126% in 2025, from 127 cases in 2024 to 288. The figures come from an annual expert report prepared for the State Duma’s Health Protection Committee and were cited by lawyer Natalia Smirnova, a member of the committee’s expert council on rare diseases.
Courts heard 61 such cases in the first five months of 2026. Smirnova said the number of lawsuits usually rises in the second half of the year, when medicines purchased at the start of the year run out and additional funding is not provided. Regional health authorities are the most common defendants.
In 2025, courts granted 86% of claims either fully or in part. The share of rejected claims increased from 6% in 2024 to 12% in 2025.
Most cases involved adult patients: they accounted for 89% of cases in 2024, 75% in 2025 and 64% in January–May 2026. At the same time, cases concerning children’s access to medicines rose from 14 in 2024 to 24 in 2025 and 36 in the first five months of 2026.
The report also notes that some children’s medical needs fall outside the remit of the Krug Dobra foundation and must be addressed at the regional level. In 2025, courts also heard 35 claims from former foundation beneficiaries who lost access to subsidized therapy when they turned 19.