Swiss pharma export growth slows in 2000

Exports in the Swiss pharmaceutical and chemical sector rose 5.6% in2000 to 35.9 billion Swiss francs ($21.90 billion), compared with 8.6% growth in 1999, and they accounted for 26.4% of total Swiss exports against 28.2% in 1999, reports the industry association, the SGCI.

Chemical/pharmaceutical imports rose 13.3% to 21.9 billion francs. The export surplus dipped 4.8% to 14 billion francs, due mainly to drug exports, which rose only 4.6% to 22.1 billion francs against record growth of 15% in 1999. Drug imports reached 10.4 billion francs, and the export surplus for drugs alone was 11.7 billion francs against 12.3 billion francs in 1999.

Lombard Odier analyst Birgit Kuhlhoff said the downturn in exports was closely related to the fact that the major groups produced less inside Switzerland. The weak euro also had an impact although, she said, competition for Swiss drugmakers from cheaper products and generics had less influence, while Novartis, Roche and Serono, the three Swiss majors, had had no patent expiries on key products in 2000.