Lithuania govt to back local pharma firms

The 2001-3 drug industry program adopted by the Lithuanian governmentwill give various forms of support to local drugmakers to help them strengthen their positions in both domestic and foreign markets and enable them to compete in the European Union, reports the LETA news agency.

Albertas Bertulis, president of Lithuania's Pharmacy Companies Association, reportedly said the program is significant, as the government has given its official view of the drug sector in terms of its priorities prior to EU membership. The Association also wants to know if drug production and distribution is a priority for the government. It is hoped that the program's support for the local industry will help raise sales of locally-made products, which fell one third in 2000 to 85.9 million litas ($21.6 million), while exports dropped from 44 million litas to 28.4 million litas. Locally-made pharmaceuticals have a national market share of only 10%.

At the start of 2001, human drug production licenses were held by 33 firms in Lithuania, all of which are understood to be privately-owned, and with foreign investors holding substantial stakes in the majority.