Iran’s Drug Expenditure to Grow by an Average Of 14.8% Year-On-Year to Reach IRR34, 494bn (US$3.52bn) By the End Of 2012

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ce6228/iran_pharmaceutica) has announced the addition of the "Iran Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report Q3 2008" report to their offering.

The Iran Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Report provides independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Iran's pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry.

Iran’s pharmaceutical market was estimated to be worth IRR17,278bn (US$1.87bn). Over the five-year forecast period, we expect drug expenditure to grow by an average of 14.8% year-on-year (y-o-y) in local currency over the forecast period to reach IRR34,494bn (US$3.52bn) by the end of 2012. The high nominal growth is largely a result of high inflation, which we expect to average 18% y-o-y over the forecast period. Indeed, it masks our relatively poor assessment of the growth prospects in the market, which should be beaten by both inflation and nominal GDP growth.

Despite relatively gloomy prospects for value growth, we expect strong volume growth in the market on account of an expanding population and strong government sponsored healthcare programmes. Indeed, we expect the use of generics to increase further over the forecast period, gaining a further three percentage points (pps) in terms of drug market share between 2008 and 2012. In the updated Business Environment Ratings for Q308, Iran is ranked in ninth position out of 13 countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Its large pharmaceutical market provides opportunities for drugmakers. However, a risky regulatory environment creates challenges for companies operating in Iran, especially foreign drugmakers.

While foreign direct investment (FDI) in Iran’s pharmaceutical industry remains limited due to political uncertainty, a number of domestic drugmakers have demonstrated they are still capable of developing and manufacturing relatively sophisticated products. In May 2008, Exir began producing hepatitis C treatment interferon gamma under the brand name Gamma Immunex. Iran’s healthcare system is strong in terms of population coverage – with at least 90% of the population having access to healthcare. Rural access remains patchy at present, however strong investment in healthcare infrastructure, including 5,000 additional hospital beds in the country during 2006 and 2007 and a commitment to increase the number of doctors serving in rural areas should boost access to healthcare further over the forecast period.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

SWOT Analysis

Table: Iran Pharmaceuticals And Healthcare Industry SWOT

Iran Political SWOT

Iran Economic SWOT

Iran Business Environment SWOT

Business Environment Ranking

Iran - Business Environment Ranking

Table: Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings

Limits Of Potential Returns

Risks To Realisation Of Returns

Market Summary

Regulatory Regime

Registration Of Imports

Generic Registration

Intellectual Property (IP) Regime

Intellectual Property Disputes

Counterfeit Medicines

Pricing And Reimbursement

Industry Developments

Health Status

HIV/AIDS Situation

Iran HIV/AIDS Prevalence

Healthcare Sector

Primary Care

Secondary Care

Retail Pharmacies

Health Insurance

Regional Developments

International Collaboration

Pharmaceutical Industry

Traditional Herbal Remedies

Recent Company Activity

Research And Development

International Co-operation

Industry Forecast Scenario

Overall Market Forecast

Table: Drug Expenditure Forecasts

Key Growth Factors - Industry

Table: Health Expenditure Forecasts

Key Growth Factors - Macroeconomic

Table: Iran - Economic Activity

Prescription Market Forecast

Table: Prescription Drug Market Forecast (US$bn unless otherwise

stated)

OTC Market Forecast

Table: OTC Market Data Forecasts (US$bn unless otherwise stated)

Generics And Patented Market Forecast

Table: Generics And Patented Market Forecasts

Medical Device Market Forecast

Iran Medical Device Market Forecast

Import/Export Market Forecast

Table: Pharmaceutical Trade Indicators (US$mn)

Other Healthcare Data Forecasts

Table: Other Health Indicators

Key Risks To Our Forecast Scenario

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles

Multinationals

Novartis

Merck & Co

Pfizer

GlaxoSmithKline

Sanofi-Aventis

Indigenous Companies

Darou Pakhsh

Caspian Tamin Pharmaceutical Company

Pharmieco

Pars Darou

Zahravi

Amin

Sina Darou Pharmaceutical Company

Exir Pharmaceuticals

Our Forecast Modelling

How We Generate Our Pharmaceutical Industry Forecasts

Pharmaceutical Business Environment Ratings Methodology

Ratings Overview

Table: Pharmaceutical Business Environment Indicators

Weighting

Table: Weighting Of Components

Sources

Companies Mentioned:

-Novartis

-Merck & Co

-Pfizer

-GlaxoSmithKline

-Sanofi-Aventis

-Darou Pakhsh

-Caspian Tamin Pharmaceutical Company

-Pharmieco

-Pars Darou

-Zahravi

-Amin

-Sina Darou Pharmaceutical Company

-Exir Pharmaceuticals

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ce6228/iran_pharmaceutica