The export level of pharmaceuticals of leading domestic producer Terapia Cluj Napoca totalled 10 million dollars last year, 9 million dollars of which were generated by the export of Faringosept, one of the best-known Romanian pharmaceutical products sold on foreign markets.
"The better part of export operations relies on the Faringosept product, with the majority of sales being conducted in the countries of the former Soviet Union, in particular Russia and Ukraine. The Ranbaxy representative offices, in the respective countries, now handle all export operations. In the future, growth will not only come from Faringosept but from other drugs as well. We also plan to introduce a number of products within the European Union," stated Dragos Damian, Terapia Ranbaxy CEO.
The winter season in Siberia starts much earlier than in Romania and production of Faringosept has to begin in August at the latest, in order to allow enough time for the drug to be exported to Siberia.
Another drug that has export potential is Aspacardin (used in treatment and the prevention of heart diseases). At present the drug is exclusively exported to Ukraine.
Exports from the factory in Cluj will also include the molecules whose production will be transferred from India to Cluj.
"Part of the molecules that will be transferred from India to Romania (for production purposes i.e.) are already planned to be exported to Baltic countries. Ranbaxy's takeover of Terapia as a strategic investor allows the export of more and more products to be managed by the offices of Ranbaxy in other countries," Damian said," Damian said.
This does not mean that India will stop making the drugs in question, but that the company will attempt to optimise production. Damian does not rule out the possibility of having some of the injection drugs manufactured in Cluj exported to India, either.
"A big opportunity for Ranbaxy is that the factory in Cluj has a line that produces injection drugs regarded as a great opportunity for transfer, when the deal was initially signed," Damian said.
Only 60-70% of the total production capacity is fully utilised at present. Ranbaxy posted 50% higher sales on the domestic market in the first three months of this year, a level double the growth rate of the market. The company therefore maintains the same growth rate as last year, the fastest on the entire pharmaceutical market. "The commercial team we now have is twice as large as last year, which in turn is double that of 2005. At the end of the integration process we changed the business terms and conditions and created partnerships with new distributors," added Dragos Damian explaining growth in the first quarter.
Terapia Ranbaxy produces one in ten drug packs sold in Romania. According to Terapia Ranbaxy's top man, the new products that were launched along with the promotion, which primarily targeted general practitioners, were some of the major factors contributing to the growth rate in the first quarter.
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