Cleveland BioLabs and other biotech companies have decided to move the developement operations of their drugs from U.S. to Russia, where regulations are more flexible. Cleveland BioLabs said that the decision to move the developement to Russia would accelerate the company towards commercialization.

Cleveland BioLabs have a few joint ventures with other companies that strenghtens thier presence in the biotech industry. These joint ventures have been doing clinical trials in Russia. Incuron, LLC, a joint venture between Cleveland BioLabs and Bioprocess Capital Ventures, conducts most of its clinical trials in Russa. Cleveland BioLabs has a 59% stake in Incuron.

Russia has been inviting Western firms to take their technology there. According to a report by Synergy Research Group, the Ministry of Health had already permitted 210 new clinical trials for the third quarter of 2013. The figure is 59% more compared to the 2012 third quarter. The trial permit applications came from companies of eighteen different countries.