Research and Markets: Polish Pharmaceutical Companies Bioton and Polpharma Have Announced They Are Investigating the Possibility of a Merger In 2010

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/70cf06/poland_pharmaceuti) has announced the addition of the "Poland Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report Q2 2010" report to their offering.

The Poland Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report provides industry professionals and strategists, corporate analysts, pharmaceutical associations, government departments and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Poland's pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry.

BMI considers Poland's pharmaceutical market reasonably attractive to multinational pharmaceutical companies. In BMI's Q210 Business Environment Ratings, Poland places seventh out of the 20 Central and Eastern European (CEE) markets in BMI's coverage universe and 31st globally. Poland is the third largest market in CEE by total size, behind only Russia and Turkey. Drug expenditure represents 2.3% of GDP, above average on a global and regional basis. Per-capita spending in 2009, meanwhile, placed the country eighth on a regional basis. Sales in 2009 recorded a second consecutive upturn in annual growth in local currency, but zloty devaluation has yielded few opportunities for foreign drugmakers.

The regulatory system remains the major drawback to companies operating in Poland. While intellectual property legislation has improved since EU accession in 2004, it still attracts criticism from the international drug community. However, arguably the most limiting aspect for drugmakers is the pricing and reimbursement system, which has been characterised by inconsistency, poor transparency and frequent delays.

The latest update to Poland's reimbursement list was released in December 2009, with the Ministry of Health claiming it will save PLN45mn (US$16mn). Updates to the list include the removal of 92 drugs, considered either to be outdated or to have questionable efficacy. On a positive note, 258 drugs were added to the list, including new treatments for conditions including asthma, cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

BMI believes that further reimbursement restrictions may be pushed through during 2010. Subsequent to the December 2009 update, Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggested modifications to the reimbursement system making it more difficult for drugmakers to make money from. Other changes include the introduction of rigid margins within the supply chain.

Polish pharmaceutical companies Bioton and Polpharma have announced they are investigating the possibility of a merger, with further details to be published later in 2010. In addition, a side-deal has been struck through which Polpharma could buy the antibiotics branch of Bioton for between PLN90mn (US$32mn) and PLN110mn (US$40mn), as well as its two Italian subsidiaries.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), meanwhile, is to transfer production of its benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment Avodart (dutasteride) from France to Poland, in an effort to optimise manufacturing costs. The drug generated sales of US$643mn in 2010 and as such should provide a boost to exports.

Key Topics Covered:

• Executive Summary
• SWOT Analysis
• Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings
• Industry Forecast Scenario
• Competitive Landscape
• Company Monitor
• Country Snapshot: Poland Demographic Data

Companies Mentioned:

• Polpharma
• Bioton
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Eli Lilly
• Gedeon Richter
• Krka
• Lek (Novartis/Sandoz)

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/70cf06/poland_pharmaceuti