Research and Markets: Major Regional Producers of Pharma from Central and Eastern Europe, Yet To Fall into the Hands of Larger Rivals, Include Krka, Sanitas and Zentiva

Business Wire, Jan 31, 2008

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81374) has announced the addition of Business Strategies of Pharma Makers from Central and Eastern Europe 2007 - Acquisition Prospects and Development Forecasts to their offering.

The report Business strategies of pharma makers from Central and Eastern Europe 2007 from PMR profiles the most prospective indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers in Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. As potential acquisition targets for both multinationals and regional players, a critical examination of their performance and growth strategies, from operations to branding, provides invaluable intelligence necessary in a rapidly developing market.

These companies including Gedeon Richter, Krka, Polpharma, Sanitas and Zentiva are on the brink of next phase development, either through acquisition of smaller firms or merger with larger organisations. With a dynamically changing market regionally and globally, this report performs essential analysis on their various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Key Research:

* Major regional producers, which have yet to fall into the hands of larger rivals, include Krka, Sanitas and Zentiva.

* Producers in EU's newest markets, such as Russia, Ukraine, and ex-Soviet bloc countries, are catching the eye.

* In the short term, perhaps the strongest impact will be made by competitors from India and China.

* In 2007, there has been an increased activity of foreign players in Romania and Bulgaria.

* Russia's drug market is expected to double by 2020.

* Consolidation continues to be a major trend for CEE market development.

An essential read for:

* top managers, strategic planners and executives of companies considering entry or active in or interested in entering the Central and Eastern European market

* companies engaged in manufacturing, distributing and importing pharmaceuticals

* key decision makers and consultants involved in the healthcare industry

* multinational giants interested in acquisition within Central and Eastern Europe and potential competitors in the region

* regional players investigating successful growth strategies of their competitors or looking to be acquired.

This report is an invaluable resource for any company considering merger and acquisitions in the Central and Eastern European healthcare and pharmaceuticals market.

A Word from the Author

Central and Eastern Europe has been a field of intensive merger and acquisition activity over the last few years. One example is the recent merger of two regional powers: Gedeon Richter and Polpharma, which are likely to become the largest player in this part of Europe. Not only will the deal strengthen their already strong positions on their domestic markets - Hungary and Poland - but it will affect their operations on foreign markets, especially Russia, due to Richter's acquisition of Akrihin, controlled by Polpharma.

Regional drug makers such as Krka, Zentiva and Sanitas, as well as the abovementioned two, offer benefits such as greater economies of scale, low manufacturing costs and high margin export trade potential, not to mention large scale penetration of a healthily growing marketplace to investors.

On the other hand, emerging markets of the CEE region still offer potential investors very attractive acquisition targets that should increasingly come under the gaze of the foreign investors in the coming years, such as Antibiotice in Romania; Pharmstandart, Otechesvennye Lekarstva and Pharm-Centr in Russia; and Darnitsa, Arterium and Farmak in Ukraine.

Joanna Swatowska-Rybak, Head Pharmaceutical Market Analyst

Content Outline:

I. Report methodology

II. Basic economic and health indicators in CEE in 2006

III. Overview of the CEE pharmaceutical market

IV. CEE pharmaceutical market development since 2004

V. Business strategies of CEE pharma makers

VI. Potential acquisition targets in emerging CEE markets

VII. Potential predators of indigenous CEE pharmaceutical manufacturers

VIII. List of graphs

IX. List of tables

Companies Mentioned:

* Actavis

* Antibiotice

* Arterium

* Belmedpreparaty

* Biofarm

* Borisovsky Plant

* Darnitsa,

* Farmak

* Gedeon Richter

* GlaxoSmithKline

* Krka

* LaborMed Pharma

* Novartis

* Otechestvennye Lekarstva

* Pharmstandart

* Polpharma

* Ranbaxy

* Sanitas

* Sanofi-Aventis

* Stada AG

* Teva

* Zentiva

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c81374