Czech Leciva Aims For Exports Boost

Leciva of the Czech Republic has said it would like to increase itsexports to 50% of total pharmaceutical production by 2010 and account for 2% of the central and eastern European drugs market, according to the CTK news agency's Business News. In 1996, the firm produced drugs worth 4.7 billion koruna ($146.9 million) of which 14% was exported to former Soviet Union states, 1.8% to Poland and 1.7% to Romania.

Leciva also wants to increase its share of the Czech market, which is understood to have fallen last year. It accounts for 15% of Czech sales and 16% of the Slovak market, and is seeking to raise its share of both to around 20% by 2001.