Leader of the pharmaceutical market is eyeing acquisitions

Sanofi-Aventis, the leader of the Romanian pharmaceutical market, with sales of almost 200m euros last year, is interested in acquiring products or domestic producers, as part of its global strategy. "The opportunities of ten years ago, when nothing was privatised, are gone, and we're not seeking to double our sales through an acquisition, but we're not against it, either," said Dan Ivan, country head with Sanofi-Aventis, in an interview with ZF. He states the group is also seeking partnerships to fill the vacant capacity of over 30% of the former Sicomed plant it owns in Bucharest. Sanofi-Aventis does not have a certain budget limit as regards acquisitions, and it is "open to any proposal". Asked whether a possible acquisition would also include distribution, Ivan stated, "It is not what we are good at". Last year, the group finalised 33 mergers and acquisitions globally, including that of Zentiva Czech producer, which owned former Sicomed plant in Romania.