HUNGARIAN DRUGS "STILL COMPETITIVE"

Despite the collapse of the Soviet market, Hungarian pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in making up for these lost sales by increasing exports to other markets in western Europe and the Third World, reports the MTI news agency.

As the world's fourteenth largest producer of pharmaceuticals, Hungary is estimated to account for 0.6%-0.7% of global production. In terms of output per capita, its world ranking is about eighth. Hungary's 13 manufacturing plants export two-thirds of their production. Of the 1,300 medicinal products sold in the country, 800 are produced domestically, 250 come from other eastern European countries and the remainder are imported. In the past, the Soviet Union imported 100-120 different types of drug products from Hungary, making it the leading overseas customer.