cardiovascular diseases. Indeed, over the past year, both companies have brought new cardiovascular medicines to the market. In addition, Krka has launched innovative drugs for the treatment of HIV and diabetes, whilst Lek has developed new systemic medicines for infections and diseases of the nervous system.
Andreja Lončar
This past year the Novo Mesto based pharmaceutical multinational Krka has registered nine new products in 17 variant forms and strengths. The company has also increased its presence on European markets in a key group of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases as well as with a film-coated emtricitabine and disoproxil combination for the treatment of HIV.
Krka has also registered two oral pharmaceuti-cals for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men, a new analgesic for the alleviation of moderate to severe pain, and a new strength of a pharmaceutical used for the treatment of depression, generalized anxiety disorder and diabetic neuropathy. The new
strength of this drug facilitates the use of a single capsule where larger dosages are required, ensuring easier application for the patient.
Lek is marketing new pharmaceuticals and new forms for the systemic treatment of infection, diseases of the nervous, respiratory and cardiovas-cular systems, as well as disorders of the skin and kidneys.
Probiotics and Mineral Supplements
Both Lek and Krka are reinforcing their non-prescrip-tion products segment. Lek is also marketing new forms of its existing pharmaceuticals as well as a range of probiotics.
Krka has registered two new food supplements, one with magnesium and the other with vitamin B2.
In 12 European countries, Krka has obtained market authorisation for a new form of pharmaceutical in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) in adults, and the symptomatic treatment of haemor-rhoids in adults.
Veterinary Health
While Lek has disposed of its animal health product division to ensure a greater focus on human medicine, Krka is increasing its veterinary medicines business and these now account for some five percent of the group’s total sales. Animal husbandry (livestock) pharmaceuticals represents roughly one half of this business, with the other half deriving from pet health-care products. Krka’s largest markets in this sector are Russia, France and Germany.
Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cardiovascular disease represent 47 percent of Krka’s revenues.
Photo. Krka
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Health and Wellbeing
In 2017 Krka obtained market approval in 22 European countries for its anti-parasitic medication for the control and treatment of gastrointestinal parasite infections in cats. In addition to extending its range of livestock veterinary products, Krka has obtained market authorization in Kazakhstan for a highly effective protection against coccidiosis in poultry.
Krka to Launch Joint Venture in China While Lek’s parent company Novartis has opened the doors to Lek products in over 160 markets, Lek does not - in accordance with group policy - disclose which are its most important markets. Krka, which is present in 70 national markets, focuses primarily on Europe. As regards Central Europe, Krka achieves its best results in Poland, while in Western Europe the group is attaining its highest volumes of sales ever in Germany, France and Spain. Krka announced in September that it will have a majority stake in a Chinese joint venture. The Chinese company is said to be a small pharmaceutical company which has sales of less than 10 million euros a year.
Eastern Europe, and predominantly Russia, remains Krka’s most important market and accounts for one-third of total sales. Krka also has a production facility in in Russia where it has some two thousand employees. This plant produces two-thirds of Krka’s products destined for the Russian market, and enjoys the status of a domestic manufacturer. This gives Krka competitive advantage, as Russia’s government gives priority to Russian manufacturers in servicing the requirements of its health sector. Russia’s 2011 strategy anticipates that by 2020 the country will be 90 percent self-sufficient regarding the most impor-tant categories of pharmaceuticals.
Krka’s Focus on Cardiovascular Medicines Prescription medicines are Krka’s core business, and account for over eighty percent of its sales; its largest markets are Russia, Poland and Germany.
Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cardiovascu-lar disease represent almost half of the company’s prescription pharmaceuticals sales, followed by products for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system (more than 20 percent), alimentary tract and metabolism (over 16 percent) and infections (over 5 percent).
Non-prescription medicines represent some 10 percent of Krka’s sales; its largest markets are Russia, the Ukraine and Slovenia, while animal health prod-ucts represent 5 percent of total sales.
Non-prescription Medicines Account for One-third of Lek’s Sales
Lek generates some two-thirds of its revenues from prescription pharmaceuticals, with cardiovascu-lar disease treatments representing 25 percent of sales, nervous system (22 percent), and infections (16 percent). In 2016 non-prescription products
accounted for 31 percent of its business, up 2.5 percentage points in five years.
Indeed, Lek’s total sales have grown well over the past five years consequent to its development of new drugs that treat diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs, as well as the nervous and respiratory systems.
The Challenges of Demography and New Technologies
According to Krka, one of the greatest coming chal-lenges for the pharmaceutical industry is posed by demography: an aging population in developed coun-tries and an increasing number of emergent wealthy nations, with moderate purchasing powers and a majority of the population under fifty.
Other challenges include the rising prices of raw materials, food and energy, increasingly organized virtual interest groups and medical informatisation.
New technologies are also becoming increasingly important in production. Krka is today employing biotechnology and nanotechnology in the prepa-ration of medicines for the treatment of diabetes (recombinant insulins) and autoimmune diseases.
Billions in Revenues
Both Lek and Krka rank among Slovenia’s largest companies and exporters. The Krka group employs some 12,000 people, and its revenues were close to 12 billion euros in 2016. Lek, today a part of the Swiss multinational giant Novartis, employs some 3,600 people in Slovenia and has annual revenues of 1.1 billion euros.
Both companies manufacture generic drugs and generate most of their revenues from prescrip-tion pharmaceuticals, though the non-prescripprescrip-tion segment is growing. Although veterinary medi-cines represent a small percentage of Krka’s total business, this segment is becoming increasingly important.
Pharmaceuticals for treatment of cardiovascular disease represent 25 percent of Lek’s revenues.
Non-prescription products account for 10 percent of Krka’s sales.
Non-prescription products account for 31 percent of Lek’s sales.
Photo. lek
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Discover Slovenia, November 2017 Special MaterialsThe Slovene economy’s export trends inspire optimism. Between January and July 2017 Slovenia made 16.3 billion euros in exports of merchandise, which is 11.7 percent more than in the same period of the previous year.
Talum and Impol, specialists in aluminium prod-ucts, and the Helios Group – a member of Global Coatings Group – have for years been among the largest Slovene companies and top exporters. They see even more potential in sales to Slovenia’s leading trade partner Germany as well as some other coun-tries that are geographically close to Slovenia.
Talum Bets on E-mobility
Producer of electrolytic aluminium and alumin-ium alloys, Talum is aiming at producers of electric vehicles. »Our Roll-Bond evaporator panels are designed to be used in battery thermal management systems of electric vehicles,« says Stanko Kores, Senior Development Manager at Talum, adding that the same technology is used in alternative products such as hybrid photovoltaic panels and heat pump evaporators. In primary aluminium production Talum developed a procedure for baking of special graphite