US drug maker Alvogen opens local office

US generic drugs producer Alvogen has opened an office in Bucharest, which will be run by Laurentiu Scheusan, former country manager of fellow pharmaceutical firm Actavis, the company has announced.

The Romanian market entry is part of Alvogen’s expansion plans in Eastern Europe. Alvogen Romania will primarily focus on sales and marketing to support several new products scheduled for introduction during 2010. The company also will employ regulatory and pharmacovigilance expertise within the newly formed business.

In his role as managing director of the new entity, Scheusan, who left the helm of Actavis mid last year, will lead more than 60 new employees. “We see great opportunities for our business in Eastern Europe, and the creation of Alvogen Romania is integral to our development strategy. Through registration of our own products, portfolio acquisitions and strategic partnerships, we aim to build a strong presence in the market with a targeted product offering,” said Robert Wessman, executive chairman of Alvogen. Wessman is the former chief executive of Actavis and now owns 30 percent of Alvogen, the company he has set up.

The firm aims to be among the top pharmaceutical companies active locally within the next five years.

The Romanian pharma market generates annual sales totaling USD 3 billion, according to Alvogen, which believes the market will see strong growth as Romanian healthcare infrastructure improves.

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Alvogen joins other international meds producers on the Romanian market, as well as local ones, including Zentiva, Terapia Ranbaxy, Actavis, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Merk, Novartis, Sandoz, Ozone, LaborMed and Antibiotice.

Corina Saceanu