Roche Romania has more than 35 prescription drugs in its portfolio used in treating anemia, cancer, flu, hepatitis, AIDS and others.
“This year’s sales have been driven by the hematology and cancer drugs, as well as by the viral hepatitis and anemia drugs,” said Dan Zamonea, general manager of Roche Romania.
The company is also focusing on drugs for rheumatoid arthritis and will soon expand to fields such as rheumatic diseases and central nervous system disorders, its general manager said.
Roche Romania has been operating in this country for twenty years and expects sales to go up by no more than 5% next year. Zamonea said the 2013 budget “takes into account the peculiarities of the local market”.
“The pharmaceutical market in Romania was affected by the lack of funds, by the payment delays and by the tension surrounding the failure to update the free and subsidized drug list this year. As of 2013 we will also have to consider the new EU directive on drug payment. We hope the new year will come with an updated list of free and subsidized drugs (…). I think Romania’s pharmaceutical market still has a high growth potential, and will remain very dynamic next year,” Zamonea said.
Roche is the second largest local pharmaceutical company after Sanofi, with a market share of 7.8% in October 2011- September 2012, according to the data of market research company Cegedim.
The Swiss-held company operates via the pharmaceutical and the diagnostics units in Romania. Roche entered the diagnostics market by an acquisition in 2009 and its local division is run by Harald Wolf. Roche Diagnostics posted RON91.6 million revenue last year.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)