The Russian government is pushing for a complete ban on advertising of pharmaceuticals in the media, a move strongly opposed by the industry.

      The intention was reiterated on Monday by Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova, according to the Interfax news agency.

      The pharmaceuticals industry is fourth-biggest in terms of the ATL budgets, according to TNS data, and the ban would leave many key brands without support and make new launches very difficult, critics say.