Romania’s pharma market was down 4 percent to some EUR 669 million in the first quarter of this year, as the winter was warmer than usual, according to data from Cegedim. When expressed in RON, the drop in the first quarter was of only 1.5 percent.

During winter, pharma sales usually increase because of the higher number of flu cases.

Overall, the market was down by 0.8 percent for the last 12 months – ending March 31, 2014, to some EUR 2.6 billion. In RON, the drop was of 1.3 percent.

Out of the total market, retail made the bulk, but posted the smallest decline – down 3.9 percent, to some EUR 580 million. The hospital sales channel was down 4.9 percent for the pharma industry, to some EUR 88 million. In the local currencies, the drops were of 1.3 percent for the retail segment – mainly pharmacies – and of 2.3 percent for hospitals.

Prescription drugs made more than half of the Romanian pharma market, some EUR 471 million, and registered a drop of 2.2 percent, while over-the-counter OTC drugs made a EUR 109 million segment, a 2.4 percent growth.

The forecast for this year was updated, reflecting a drop of 0.3 percent, from a previously estimated increase of 2.7 percent, according to Petru Craciun, general manager of Cegedim Romania.

The largest pharma company in Romania in the last 12 months was Hoffmann La Roche, with a 7.2 percent market share, followed by Sanofi - including Zentiva - , with a 6.8 percent market share. Third place came Novartis, with a market share of 5.8 percent. Servier, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Ranbaxy, Merck & Co, AstraZeneca and Krka comes next, in this order, in the top 10 pharma companies in Romania.

With market shares between 2.5 and 1.6 percent, then come Johnson&Johnson, Antibiotice, Abbvie, Teva, Menarini, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Alvogen, Actavis and Eli Lilly.

editor@romania-insider.com