A&D Pharma pharmaceutical group, holding Mediplus wholesale business and the Sensiblu pharmacy chain, in the first half of this year registered unaudited net sales worth 199.1 million euros, 35% higher than in the same period of last year, according to preliminary figures sent to the London Stock Exchange.
"First-half sales are in line with our projections for the entire year. In the second half of this year, I am confident we'll keep up the same growth pace in terms of turnover," stated Dragos Dinu, A&D Pharma CEO, in a recent interview with ZF.
Dinu specified the estimate is based on the legislative changes enacted in April, which entailed the transfer of insulin and part of cancer drugs from hospital pharmacies to regular drugstores.
The effects of this change will become visible particularly in the second half of the year.
At the same time, Mediplus, the wholesale operation of A&D Pharma, posted sales worth 170.1m euros in the first half of this year, up 33% from 127.6 million euros in the corresponding period of 2006.
Mediplus's share of the total pharmaceutical market amounted to 18% during the period July 2006-June 2007, according to Cegedim data quoted by the company.
Sensiblu, the company's retail arm, registered unconsolidated sales standing at 56.2 million euros, up 35 percent from 41.7m euros, a level reached in the first half of 2006.
These unconsolidated figures include sales of 27.2 million euros from Mediplus to Sensiblu.
At the same time, A&D Pharma announced it signed a strategic partnership with Colgate-Palmolive, with Mediplus being selected to distribute Colgate-Palmolive's oral care and cosmetics portfolio on the Romanian market.
At A&D Pharma's EGM, held on 21 June 2007, a dividend policy was approved that will pay an interim dividend of 3.56m euros to A&D Pharma's shareholders.
Starti