Local Firms Raise Share Of Middle East Drug Tender

The value of the Executive Board of the Health Ministers Council for theGCC States (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) Pharmaceutical Tender Number 18 fell 17% to $134 million, reports IMS Pharma Strategy Group. All countries fell except Qatar, where purchasing through the system grew almost 50%. Saudi Arabia is the largest purchaser, with almost 60% of the tender.

Sales of all therapeutic classes fell, except blood and blood-forming organs and hospital solutions. Anti-infectives remained the largest group, at 27% of total purchases, followed by alimentary tract and metabolism on 15%, cardiovasculars at 10%, central nervous system treatments at 8% and respiratory products on 7%.

The leading firm was Gulf Pharmaceutical (Julphar) with sales of $12.4 million (9.3% of the total), displacing Glaxo Wellcome, but the Sandoz/Ciba merger to form Novartis would have created the largest group, with sales over $14 million.