Pascal Prigent, general manger of GSK Romania, who took the reins of the company this year, says that the most important foreign markets are France and Italy, which account for about a quarter of the total. The local subsidiary of GSK actually exports to 80 countries, including Denmark, Turkey and Italy. It is hard to tell whether the percentage of production exported will increase further or not; it may reach 80% and then stabilize, Prigent added.
The company makes 16 products in Brasov, 12 of which are sold only on the local market. The best-selling export product is Seroxat, an antidepressant, part of the group’s global portfolio, which accounts for 35% of the plant’s production.
GSK’s plant in Brasov began exports in 2008. Another global brand in GSK’s portfolio besides Seroxat is Retrovir, used in HIV treatment.
Prigent says this year’s production target is 46 million units (i.e., packs), compared with 42 million last year. The total capacity of the plant is 65 million packs.
The company would not reveal export value, but if the share remains the same as in terms of volume, Europharm is the largest Romanian exporter in the pharmaceutical industry.
After GSK began producing Seroxat and Retrovir in Romania, it invested $7 million from 2009 through 2011. The company announced on Monday that it planned to invest a further $12 million in a quality lab and offices in 2011-2012.
The GSK official says the company believes there are long-term growth opportunities and that things will change, which is why it continues to invest in Romania. It also intends to transfer production of as many drugs as possible to Brasov, but that depends on the legislation in force.
Europharm Brasov posted EUR90 million sales in 2010.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)