Slowing growth in Poland's drug market

Growth in the Polish drug market will wind down to just 3.7% in 2007, compared to 4.2% in 2006 and 7.5% in 2005, according to a new report by the local office of the international pharmaceutical market-research company IMS Health.

IMS Health blames the Polish government's reimbursement policies for the slow-up, claiming that it is discouraging innovation by favoring generic drugs and lowering margins by forcing ruthless competition among market players anxious to get their medicines on the list of products for which they can be reimbursed.

Falling drug prices are slowing down pharmaceutical-market expansion, IMS Health reported. "This is due to increased numbers of pharmaceuticals on the reimbursement list and increased competition in the market," commented Stefan Boguslawski, general director of IMS Health Poland.