GlaxoSmithKline British group, the second largest drug maker in the world, has recently concluded a restructuring plan aimed at its European operations, following which Romania's contribution to the development of GSK business will be significantly larger: the group will produce patent drugs in Romania.
In the wake of its restructuring plans, GSK could become the first international pharmaceutical group starting production of patent drugs in Romania, within Brasov-based Europharm plant (entirely owned by GSK). At the same time, GSK's operations in the Balkan region and in most of the former Soviet countries will be co-ordinated from Bucharest.
"Launching the production of patent drugs in Brasov is a strategic move targeting the Romanian market and the Eastern European markets," Roberto Musneci, head of operations with GSK Romania and the new vice-president of GSK for the Balkan region and most of Eastern Europe, told Ziarul Financiar.
The British group is the leading player on the Romanian drug market, with 11.5% market share attained through the Europharm Brasov plant and GSK Romania, the importer of original GSK products.
The group last year finalised investments worth more than 12 million dollars in the construction of a new drug plant in Brasov (near the already existing facilities of Europharm) and became the sole shareholder of the Romanian company in exchange for 10-15 million dollars last month.
GSK acquired the stake (35%) from a group of Romanian investors, of whom the most important was Mihai Miron, Europharm's founder.
So far, Europharm has only produced generic drugs, its portfolio remaining unchanged over the last few years.
"There is excess production capacity in Brasov that we plan to use for the secondary manufacturing of patent GSK products. We have decided neither what products will be involved, nor the value of the production increase yet," Musneci specified.
Production and exports of generic or patent products to Eastern Europe was actually the main reason why the British company bought Europharm in 1998.
The production of patent drugs in Romania has permanently been on the agenda of international groups over the last years, but no company has taken the decisive step.
Besides GSK, almost all the important international players are present on the Romanian market (Pfizer-the world leader, Merck, Bristoll Myers Squibb or Novartis), but they either do not possess production facilities in Romania, or have not found proper production conditions in the Romanian plants.
laurentiu.ispir@zf.ro
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