Sicomed earns $4m

Romania’s second-largest drugmaker, Sicomed Bucharest, reported preliminary net profit worth some 4 million dollars (123.59 billion ROL) for 2002, similar to the level posted in the previous year. Sales posted the same trend, revolving around $38 million (1,284.53 billion ROL), whereas the drug market increased more than 10% last year, up to 540 million dollars. Although having managed to keep sales in the neighbourhood of 38-40 million dollars in the past few years, Sicomed profits were hurt by the 2001 scandal with the Health Ministry and the difficulties encountered when trying to recover its money from the system. ZF