This summer, BMS launched a drug, Baraclude, for the treatment of Hepatitis B, which it hopes will become a best-selling product of this type on the local market in a short time. The drug’s market potential is sustained by the low rate of diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis B in Romania, with 1,500 persons treated annually. World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show that this disease affects 5 percent of Romania’s population, or over 1 million persons.
The company intends to grow in Romania beyond the general market level, mostly by expanding its portfolio of products, as well as by a doubling of the number of employees. “We have some 30 products in our Romanian portfolio, including OTC [over-the-counter]. But the major portion of business is made up of prescription drugs for serious illnesses,” said Calin Galaseanu, Market Access Director of BMS.
In 2007, Bristol-Myers Squibb sold products worth over $20 million.
The local drug market is worth €1.8 billion, according to Cegedim, rising by over 10 percent annually.
