Russian defense firm Kalashnikov enters pharma market with import-substitution gear

Kalashnikov Concern, the Russian defense manufacturer, has announced a joint venture with an unnamed domestic pharmaceutical producer to launch a line of medical products under the QuikMed brand, targeting a tenfold increase in output volumes for the new segment. The production program comprises two items: fast-dissolving sublingual strips for acute pain management and absorbable surgical hemostatic sponges. Both are positioned as import-substitution products developed without foreign equipment or software, according to the concern. Product specifications and cost claims The hemostatic sponges are manufactured from high-purity domestic raw materials. Kalashnikov Concern states their production cost is two to two-and-a-half times lower than that of imported equivalents.