Sanofi-Aventis, the third largest player on the Romanian drug market, estimates it will see an over 15% increase in sales this year against 2006.

"We expect our growth rate to exceed the market level," Simona Cocos, marketing manager of Sanofi-Aventis, told ZF.

Sanofi-Aventis could therefore derive more than 115 million euros in turnover this year, given that sales in Romania in 2006 stood at 100.3 million euros, according to market research company Cegedim Romania. At present, Sanofi-Aventis accounts for 6.5% of the domestic market, also according to data from Cegedim Romania.

Out of the company's total sales, cardiovascular drugs are witnessing the biggest sales. The drug Plavix, which is used for cardiovascular treatment, is the market leader for antithrombotic (anti-clogging) drugs.

In Romania, sales of cardiovascular drugs accounted for the biggest share in the total volume of sales last year, seeing the second fastest growth rate on the market, over 30%, according to Cegedim.

Last year, Sanofi-Aventis did not choose to introduce or discontinue any drugs onto or from the market.

"We do not plan to introduce any new drugs onto the market this year, either, although we hope to do this by the beginning of 2008," added Simona Cocos.

Globally, as well as domestically, the company specialises in seven major areas - cardiovascular diseases, thrombosis, metabolism-related diseases (an area, which includes drugs used in treating sugar diabetes of types 1 and 2), oncology, vaccines, internal medicine and drugs for treating the central nervous system.

Currently, Sanofi-Aventis is the leader of the European pharmaceutical market and ranks fourth on the global market. The company cumulated 28.3 billion-euros in sales last year, according to representatives. Sanofi-Aventis is present in over 100 countries having entered the loca