The Countries of Central and Eastern Europe Represent a Total Pharmaceutical Market of 286 Million People and a Combined GDP Of US$2.3 Trillion in 2007

Business Wire,  July 9, 2007  

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DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c62045) has announced the addition of "The Outlook for Pharmaceuticals in Central & Eastern Europe" to their offering.

The impact of EU accession on the pharmaceutical market

In May 2004, five of the CEE markets in question joined the European Union. Much of the pharmaceutical legislation within the region has therefore been harmonised with that of the EU, although countries such as Poland are still in the process of transposing EU directives into national law.

Romania and Bulgaria have also amended the relevant legislation and became full EU members in January 2007. The implementation of GMP is also taking place across most of the region and this will inevitably improve the quality of overall production and lead to a rise in market values.

Variations in the quality of IP protection

The level of IP protection offered by the CEE nations varies across the region, but the issue generally remains an international concern. Problems that are commonly raised include a lack of transparency in IP procedures and the lack of effective enforcement. Some countries, such as Bulgaria, have made a lot of progress in improving the legal climate by strengthening patent laws and extending the standard patent term to 20 years.

The dominance of the generics market

The demand for affordable drugs is the principal factor in the dominance of the generics in the region. Despite recent improvements in patent protection, legislation and effective enforcement are still needed in many countries where counterfeiting of Western drugs continues. Generics production has managed to remain strong in countries that are also home to the producers of branded drugs. In the former Czechoslovakia for example, the merger of Leciva with Slovakofarma enhanced generics production in 2003. However, as economies develop the trend to importing higher value branded products can be seen.

The Outlook for Pharmaceuticals in Central & Eastern Europe to 2012. Each report provides individual and highly-detailed analysis of each market, looking at the key regulatory, political, economic and corporate developments in the wider context of market structure, service and access. The reports are available individually, or as a discounted collection.

For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c62045.

Source: Espicom

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