Pharmaceutical Market Growth Continues Slowdown. Sales Up 5.5% On Year In First 4 Months

06.17.2011 By David Ioana

The pharmaceutical market reached EUR836.9 million in the first four months of this year, up 5.5% from a year ago, according to the data provided by research firm IMS Health.

The increase in volume reached 4.7% in the same period.

"The increase in value is below the growth registered in 2010 against 2009. The hospital segment rose in value as injectable cancer drugs were transferred from retail and are now subject to tenders in hospitals," said Corina Ciolan, general manager of IMS Romania

Over the past year, the pharmaceutical market has showed signs of a slowdown, and the trend of the first four months reveals a slowdown, too. The industry is coping with funding problems and state payment delays.

During the summer period, Ciolan expects the trend to maintain, but is more upbeat about the last quarter.

Last year, the pharmaceutical market climbed by 16% to RON10.2 billion (EUR2.4 billion), owing to the advance of retail (pharmacies), but the growth pace slowed down for the third consecutive year as a result of the financial crisis, according to IMS data.