Unlike other industries that were quite shaken by the coronavirus pandemic in the pharmaceutical industry, not only did it not produce such an effect, but there was also an increase in sales.
Thus, the German Stada Group, within which Hemofarm from Vrsac operates, recently announced that in the first half of this year, it recorded an increase in sales of 16 percent. That sale is worth a total of 1.47 billion euros.
In the German pharmaceutical chain, they explained this growth of production with a wide and diverse range of drugs and preparations.
Good business results have been achieved, when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry, in Serbia as well.
During the corona virus epidemic, the pharmaceutical industry of Serbia managed to ensure an orderly supply of medicines to the market, stable production and unhindered import, along with regular deliveries to health institutions.
This also enabled the Government of Serbia to accept the proposal of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and approve the export of medicines.
In the conditions of the coronavirus epidemic, Hemofarm increased production by 10 percent and in just one month produced 24,000,000 packages of medicines and products intended for health, as well as 110,000 half-liter solutions and other means necessary for the treatment of patients.
The factory exports to the European Union and other regional and world markets, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Romania, to Russia, the Middle East and North Africa.
The Belgrade drug factory Galenika also achieved better business results. In the year of its jubilee, the 75th year of its existence, in the first half of 2020, that factory achieved an increase in sales of eight percent compared to the same period last year. Thus, it has strengthened its position in the second place when it comes to the pharmaceutical market of Serbia.
Sales in the region, ie in Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Northern Macedonia, increased by 14%. Three new export markets have also been opened, and Galenika is actively present in eight international markets in the EU, the Middle East and Africa, where it has more than doubled its sales.
With a strategic partnership with a sister company from Brazil – EMS, Galenika’s Institute for Research and Development continues to develop new products.
The registration of 12 products is in progress, and by the end of the year, four new products are expected to be launched on the market. Additionally, in the first half of 2020, the production of the range of own products increased by five percent compared to the same period in 2019.
Exports close to Galenica, which wished to remain anonymous, told Danas that during the epidemic so far, not only that factory, but the entire pharmaceutical industry has experienced an increase in sales.
– It cannot be said that any pharmaceutical company in the world suffered losses during the pandemic. On the contrary, not only was the deficit not recorded, but better sales were achieved than in the previous period. Simply, not only are the drugs needed to treat the coronavirus, such as chloroquine, produced, but because of the situation, citizens usually buy more drugs as well as vitamin supplements to strengthen their immunity. Accordingly, Galenika also achieved good sales results. In the beginning, there were few problems with the organization of work, the arrival of people in the factory due to the state of emergency, but all that was successfully solved very quickly. Production is normal and there are enough drugs for the market – our interlocutor explains.
He also reminds that Galenika produced and made available to the Government of Serbia 372,000 tablets of the drug hydroxychloroquine Sulfate. The value of that donation in medicine is 400,000 euros, Danas reports.
