Italian Pharma Market To Grow 8% In 1996, Says Broker

Italy, which accounts for just under 5% of the total world market, is expected to see growth of around 8% in 1996, compared with 4% in 1995, say analysts at Morgan Stanley.

In the first quarter of this year, this market expanded by 12%, but the analysts say this overstates the situation since growth in 1995 was depressed by a weak start, recovering towards the end of the year.

The rebound has been particularly strong in anti-infectives, cardiovasculars and musculoskeletal drugs, the analysts observe. These segments account for 17%, 21% and 6% of the Italian market respectively. The cardiovascular sector declined by 1% in 1995, having been hit very hard in the first quarter of 1995 by health care reforms, with sales down 7%. The alimentary segment also fell 1% in 1995 but grew 10% in the first quarter of 1996.