"Australia Pharmaceuticals Competitive Intelligence Report Q4 2010" Published

Nov. 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Pharmaceutical production in the country is fairly evenly divided between prescription and over-thecounter (OTC) products. Local producers tend to focus more on generics, including those of branded and 'private label' varieties. Most major multinationals (such as Pfizer, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis) are represented through local subsidiaries, with AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Merck & Co and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) also manufacturing locally.

Multinationals dominate the Australian market, and four of the top-five companies ranked by total sales from prescriptions covered under the state-run Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are foreign majors. The PBS is responsible for around 85% of the total market and more than 75% of all prescriptions, indicating the importance of having products included on the approved subsidies list. In fact, only two domestic players (namely Alpharmarm and Sigma) feature in the top-10 ranking by the same measurement, with the same two local companies also being the only two in the ranking table assessing volumes sold. On the other hand, local subsidiaries of multinationals have a 90% share of the non-generic prescription drugs market, despite a restrictive pricing and reimbursement environment as well as an increasing scrutiny of pharmaceutical advertising.

According to industry reports, the pharmaceutical industry in Australia spends more than US$900mn on annual research and development (R&D) activities, representing the largest single private provider of medical research funds. While local manufacturers have recorded significant success in recent years, Australian pharmaceutical companies are worried that the industry will suffer as a result of a lack of government support and shrinking profit margins resulting from the government's desire to cut spending on the state-run PBS.

Although the pharmaceutical industry had the highest export sales per sector in FY09, at more than AUD4bn (US$3.57bn), possible cuts to prescription charges could also take their toll on the industry and spur industry consolidation, with a number of acquisitions already announced in recent months. In fact, a number of local pharmaceutical and healthcare companies have seen their share prices dwindle in 2010, raising the prospect of a series of buy-ups.

In the meantime, Australia is joining forces with Europe and the US to inspect factories in countries such as India and China, which are making an increasing share of the active ingredients in medicines. The agreement will allow regulators to share information and coordinate inspections, which in turn will enable a greater coverage of territories and facilities. Officials are considering whether to limit the production of certain 'high risk' medications to designated facilities that meet specified safety standards.

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Report Table of Contents:

Competitive Landscape Analysis
- Pharmaceutical Industry - Competitive Landscape
- Table - Top 20 Pharmaceutical Suppliers by Value from Processed Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Prescriptions in FY08/09**
- Table - Top 20 Pharmaceutical Suppliers by Volume from Processed Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Prescriptions in FY2008/09**
Company Profiles
- Sigma
- Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API)
- Alphapharm (incorporated by Mylan)
- Herron Pharmaceuticals
- Mayne (Hospira)
- CSL
- Pfizer
- Sanofi-Aventis
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Merck & Co
- Novartis
Market Attractiveness Analysis
- Market Summary
- Regulatory Regime
- Table: Priorities Of the Therapeutic Goods Administrations Strategic Plan, 2006-2008
- Table: Historical PBS Co-payments
- Table New PBS Formularies
- Table: Top Ten Prescription Drugs in Australia, 2007
SWOT Analysis
- China Pharmaceuticals And Healthcare Industry SWOT
Risk/Reward Rating
- Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings
- Table: Asia Pacific -- Regional Business Environment Ratings, Q410
- Rewards
- Risks
Business Development Directory

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Fast Market Research is an online aggregator and distributor of market research and business information. We represent the world's top research publishers and analysts and provide quick and easy access to the best competitive intelligence available.