Antibiotics boost Lek's sales

Pharmaceutical group Lek Romania, which owns generic drug maker Sandoz, estimates a 20% growth in turnover for the first nine months of the year, based on increases in sales of antibiotics. “Although the consumption of antibiotics is relatively lower in the third quarter, we estimate we will maintain the 3.5% market share we attained in the first six months, which means 20% higher sales than in the same period in 2003,” said Tomo Cuk, head of Lek’s operations in Romania. He did not make any reference to the level of turnover. Sales in the first half of the year were in excess of 12.5 million euros. The main reason Lek’s sales progressed slower than the entire market, which saw expansion this year of over 30%, is the decline in the importance of anti-infectious drugs from which Lek derives most of its revenues in the total above-the-counter (prescription) drug market. ZF