The Ukrainian pharmaceutical company Darnytsia is in deep crisis. During 2025, the company stopped production twice - for three weeks in March and for six weeks in June-August. After that, the company lost about half of its sales and was forced to lay off more than 1,000 employees. This is reported by Kommersant Ukrainskyi, citing economist Anatoly Amelin.
According to the expert, in June 2025, Darnytsia's sales decreased by 30% compared to the previous year, and by August the drop had reached 50%. As a result, the pharmaceutical company dropped from second to fourth place among the largest manufacturers of medicines in Ukraine.
The main reason for the crisis is said to be a sharp conflict between drug manufacturers and the largest pharmacy chains. According to Amelin, the current confrontation is a struggle between Darnytsia, which until recently was the second largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, and five key pharmacy chains, which account for about 70% of the Ukrainian market.
The problems began in late 2024, when Darnytsia raised the prices of its drugs by 120%. This caused sharp discontent among pharmacy chains, especially after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the NSDC decision on additional measures to ensure the availability of medicines on February 12, 2025. The document provided for a 30% reduction in prices for the top 100 most popular drugs and a ban on marketing payments between manufacturers and pharmacies.
As a result, from March 1, 2025, the five largest pharmacy chains in Ukraine — ANTs, Podorozhnyk, Apteka 9-1-1, Vazhaemo zdrowia, and Dobry dnya — sharply reduced purchases of Darnytsia products. This was an additional blow to the company, which had already lost part of the market due to reduced production and falling demand.
Economists warn that the situation surrounding Darnytsia could have serious consequences for the country's entire pharmaceutical sector, in particular, affecting the availability of domestic medicines for the population.
