Foreign-made colchicine disappears from Armenian pharmacies, patients await new supplies

Foreign-made colchicine, a vital anti-inflammatory drug used to treat gout and Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), has largely disappeared from Armenian pharmacies in recent months, forcing patients to rely on a locally produced alternative they say is less effective.

Colchicine produced in the United Kingdom, France and Italy is currently unavailable on the Armenian market, according to patients, pharmacists and health officials. As a result, many patients have been left with the Armenian-made version, which is provided free of charge by the state but has drawn complaints over its clinical effectiveness.

“I took the Armenian colchicine for years, but because of protein in my kidneys I didn’t see results,” Mona Khachatryan told Panorama.am on Thursday. “For one year now, I’ve been using the English-made drug, and my test results improved. But finding it has become extremely difficult.”

She said imported colchicine is frequently out of stock and, when available, can cost as much as 14,000 drams ($35) per package. “There were attempts to bring it from Belgium, Italy and Spain, but the market is very limited and foreign products are hard to access,” Khachatryan added.

Another patient, who declined to be named, said high prices and shortages left them with no choice but to use the Armenian drug. “The local tablet costs 45 drams, while the English one is about 200 drams per pill. Doctors used to recommend the English or French versions, not the Armenian one,” the patient said.

Colchicine is considered a cornerstone treatment for FMF and gout flare-ups and is also used for certain autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, including pericarditis and Behçet’s disease. Doctors warn it must be taken strictly by prescription due to the risk of serious side effects from incorrect dosing.

A July 10, 2025 study by Armenia’s Competition Protection Commission showed that colchicine had previously been available from several manufacturers, including local producer Arpimed LLC, Italian/German suppliers and British manufacturers. However, the French-made Colchicine Opocalcium is now absent from the market, while the price of the British version has roughly doubled compared with last year.

Artur Khachatryan, President of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said the problem extends well beyond colchicine.

“Many medicines cannot be imported because of regulatory barriers, even when manufacturers are willing to supply Armenia,” he told Panorama.am. “This is a state-level issue. Armenia does not recognize many medicines registered under Eurasian Economic Union rules, and producers are unwilling to enter such a small market.”

He says Armenia’s pharmaceutical market serves roughly 2 million people, making it economically unattractive for suppliers to register and import a full range of drugs. While the country needs around 8,000 to 9,000 medicines to adequately cover demand, only about 3,500 to 3,600 are currently registered.

As a result, patients often travel to neighboring Georgia, Iran or Turkey to purchase medicines, creating additional financial and logistical burdens.

In response to inquiries, Armenia’s Health Ministry said the state continues to provide patients with locally produced colchicine free of charge and acknowledged the absence of foreign alternatives.

“We contacted the market and importers and confirmed that colchicine from other countries is not currently available,” the ministry said. “The drug was sold out during the holiday period. The next large shipment is expected on January 9.”

The ministry did not specify which country the incoming colchicine would come from.

Hopefully, the authorities will ensure that renewed imports do not lead to further price hikes amid strong demand.

Reporting by Anzhela Poghosyan