Pharma market growth slows due to weaker leu

Estimated growth for this year is even lower, at 5-10 percent, as the market undergoes a stabilization process. The main factors impacting on growth are the leu/euro exchange rate and the Health Ministry’s policy related to pricing, discounts and health programs financing.

The depreciation of the leu has already impacted negatively on the pharmaceutical market last year, as the demand for drugs is met mostly by imports, especially in the case of branded drugs.

Prescription drug sales amounted to €1.12 bln, 19.8 percent higher year-on-year, while the sale of non-prescription drugs rose 17 percent, to some €287 mln.

In terms of treatment areas, sales of cardiovascular drugs were highest, at 13.6 percent year-on-year, up to €333.4 mln, followed by digestive and metabolism drugs, up 10.8 percent.

Pharmaceutical producer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) remains market leader, with a 7.5 percent share (down from 8.1 percent in 2006) and sales worth €125.4 million, followed by Hoffmann La Roche, with €112.7 mln, Sanofi-Aventis with
€109.1 mln, and Novartis, including its generic division Sandoz, with €108.7 mln.