However, these companies are ranked eighth, seventh and ninth, respectively in terms of value, as generic drugs are much cheaper than patent drugs.
According to Cegedim research company, some 518 million pharmaceutical products were sold on the local market in 2007. The local subsidiary of Czech Zentiva producer ranks first, with 16.25 percent of market share. The company’s portfolio includes two of the brands best known to Romanians, namely the Antinevralgic and Algocalmin analgesics. Terapia Ranbaxy, owned by Indian Ranbaxy producer, has a market share of 10.08 percent, while state-owned Antibiotice Iasi, claims 8.26 percent share of the market.
“Zentiva sells some 250,000 boxes of drugs each day. With turnover worth RON 286 million (€78.1 mln) in 2007, the average value of a Zentiva product is RON 3 (€0.81),” said the company’s General Manager, Dragos Damian.
The top three sellers in terms of volume are main local producers, Zentiva (formerly Sicomed Bucuresti) and Terapia Ranbaxy (former Terapia Cluj), taken over by Zentiva and Ranbaxy, respectively, while Antibiotice is still due to be privatized.
