Poland's Polpharma Puts Brave Face on Stalled Acquisitions

Leading Polish drug producer Polpharma claims it is undeterred by its expansion plan's present lack of success. The company had announced that it would seek to acquire companies elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe, but recently lost out on the purchase of leading Russian generics maker Nizpharm to Germany's Stada.

Many observers have noted that Polpharma's position is somewhat insecure, as regional exports account for only 15 percent of revenues, in contrast to export-driven rivals such as Hungary's Gedeon Richter and Croatian generics maker Pliva. The company plans to launch up to nine new products this year, although there remain concerns that, unless it closes a significant regional acquisition, increasingly tight EU-compliant patent regulations will add to the company's challenges.