Kathrine Frich
For years, the Kremlin has promised that Russia can replace Western products with its own alternatives.
One such project, meant to rival Viagra, was quietly backed with millions in state funds. Now, the results are in and they are far from impressive.
A decade-long effort to produce a Russian-made potency pill has failed to deliver, according to experts and official audits.
Sanctions and ambition
The project was launched in 2016, after Western sanctions limited access to drugs such as Viagra and Cialis.
Vladimir Putin ordered scientists to develop a domestic substitute that would free Russia from reliance on foreign pharmaceuticals.
The plan centred on substances taken from musk and sabre-toothed deer bred on a state-funded farm.
The drug, known as Muskuliv, was promoted as a breakthrough that could compete with established Western treatments.
Around one billion rubles, roughly £9.5 million, were poured into the programme as costs spiralled far beyond initial estimates.
Costly disappointment
After years of research, the results fell well short of expectations.
Experts say the drug is no more than a herbal supplement and lacks any proven medical effect.
Immunologist Professor Andrei Prodeus said musk-based pills offer, at best, a placebo effect.
“Thirty per cent of erectile dysfunction cases are psychological. Even a placebo can help,” he said. “But a real drug needs a clear mechanism of action, this doesn’t.”
According to auditors, spending on the project exceeded the original budget by about 60 per cent.
Audit and fallout
Russia’s Accounts Chamber reported the failure directly to Putin and asked the Prosecutor General to investigate how public money had been used.
The review also highlighted problems at the deer farm meant to supply the raw materials.
The farm opened four years late and was supposed to include a state-of-the-art laboratory that was never completed.
Despite promises to produce 600 grams of musk, it delivered only 128 grams.
The rights to the drug were later transferred to a private pharmaceutical company, effectively privatising any potential profits from a project funded entirely by the state.
Ancient beliefs
Putin is known to be interested in traditional deer-based remedies, which are believed in some cultures to boost potency and slow ageing.
In 2019, he personally questioned officials about security at the deer farm linked to the project.
Blood extracted from deer antlers is used in so-called rejuvenation treatments, though doctors say there is no medical evidence supporting such claims.
As Russia continues to promote self-sufficiency under sanctions, the failed Viagra alternative stands as another example of an expensive state-backed promise that never lived up to expectations.
Sources: The Sun, Russian Accounts Chamber reports
