Eli Lilly cautious about sales figures

The Romanian branch of US pharmaceuticals firm Eli Lilly, which has annual sales in the region of $14bn (11.3m euros), last year logged first-quarter turnover of 8.4m euros, according to Cegedim data quoted by the company.

The company”s first-quarter market share last year reached 2.7%, the sources say.

“I am unable to estimate sales for the entire year. We need first to consolidate the figures for the first half. Still, we are not ruling out the possibility that turnover will stay at the same level as last year,” said Marius Savu, Eli Lilly general manager and chairman of the Romanian Association of International Drug makers (ARPIM). The released results were in line with initial expectations, he added.

As for the entire market, Eli Lilly”s sales in Romania were boosted by the high level of drug subsidies. The second quarter saw the first signs of crisis in the system, with the market falling month on month.

“Stopping the 90% subsidy system led to a reduction by half of sales for the Evista drug that is used in the treatment of osteoporosis in women of over 60, for example,” said Savu. “However, we hope the crisis will be sorted out by the end of the year.” Evisa is a drug that was patented by Eli Lilly. The US company recently concluded a partnership deal with the Romanian oncologic drug producer Sindan Bucharest for the production in Romania of Gemzar generics. The Romanian generic is called Gemcitabina Sindan and costs around 20% less than the patented original, which has so far been sourced to the market through imports. The Gemzar patent will last another two years. Sindan is the first company in the world to manufacture a product patented by Eli Lilly.

alexandru.cerchez@zf.ro