Merger places MSD and Schering among top ten largest drug producers in Romania

2010-02-09

The global merger of Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and Schering Plough in 2009 is expected to place the new company among the ten most prominent players on the Romanian pharmaceutical market, according to Ziarul Financiar. The combined sales revenue of the new firm would be RON 330m (€78m) for October 2008-September 2009, based on Cegedim data. During this period, the sales of MSD in Romania were worth RON 138.5m (€32.9m) and those of Schering – RON 191.9m (€45.7m). The companies had market shares of 1.8% and 2.4% respectively and were placed in 17^th and 12^th positions in the ranking of the largest drug manufacturers in Romania.
Despite the integration of MSD and Schering, which commenced on 1 November 2009, at the moment both companies still operate in Romania as independent entities. They have, however, one common general manager who is in charge of the revision of the product portfolios and the development of a new integrated organisational structure.
The merger is one more instance, after the recent mergers of Sanofi-Aventis and Zentiva, Pfizer and Wyeth and Abbott and Solvay, of a global M&A deal changing the configuration of the largest players on the Romanian pharmaceutical market.