Cardiovascular drugs to aid Sicomed growth

Sicomed Bucharest, the leading Romanian drugs producer, plans to consolidate its position on the market for drugs for cardiovascular conditions, by attaining at least 5% or 6% of this sector in 2005. The market for drugs for cardiovascular illnesses amounted to some $138 million last year, with the C (cardio) segment accounting for $108 million and the B (blood) segment accounting for $30.5 million. The market will increase by over 35% on the B segment and by 30% on the C segment in 2004 and will come to total $182 million, Sicomed representatives say. Sicomed has launched a new product for such diseases on the market, Aflen. The drug was developed in partnership with the Spanish pharmaceutical group Uriach, which logged revenues of nearly $100 million in 2003, obtained from the sale of its own branded drugs. ZF