By Anda Sebesi,Newsroom
Copyright business-review
Catalina Urse, Country Manager for Pharmaceuticals at Bayer Romania and Republic of Moldova, sat down with Business Review to talk about the company’s main recent achievements and strategic plans.
By Anda Sebesi
How would you describe the local pharmaceutical market?
The total Romanian pharmaceutical market is growing in terms of value and volume, with robust upward trajectories from both the prescription and the consumer health markets. In the Rx market, the top 3 classes in terms of value are antineoplastics, alimentary tract and metabolism, followed by cardiovascular products, and we are seeing segments with a more dynamic evolution, such as lipid-regulating/anti-atheroma preparations, antineoplastics or immunosuppressants. Looking at the Consumer Health market, we see cough and cold, digestive health, and analgesics as leading categories, with significant growth for vitamins and minerals or skin treatment products, among others.
What are the main challenges for the local industry?
One thing we must acknowledge is that access to healthcare in Romania has made significant progress in recent years. Early access to preventive and diagnostics services, medical services, life-saving medications, and medical technologies are vital in any society. It is important for people to have quick access to innovative drugs in Romania as well, just like they would in any other European country, and of course, this depends on the funds being allocated for health, as well as on a long-term vision for healthcare, with a multiannual approach to financing.
What about some of the opportunities you’ve identified in the sector?
The pharmaceutical industry faces numerous challenges, but they also create unique opportunities for growth and innovation. By investing in healthcare consistently and increasing the overall share of GDP allocated to this sector to align with the European average, we can achieve substantial benefits. This investment not only enhances public health and empowers individuals to lead healthier lives but also stimulates economic development in Romania. Each category of pharmaceutical product, whether over the counter (OTC) or prescription-based (Rx), original or generic, plays a vital role in this ecosystem. By harnessing the collective contributions of the industry, we can continue to sustain and amplify our positive impact on healthcare outcomes in Romania.
What are the key components of Bayer’s pharmaceutical product portfolio?
Bayer’s pharmaceutical product portfolio is strategically focused on addressing some of the world’s most pressing health challenges through innovation in key therapeutic areas. Our primary areas of expertise are ophthalmology, cardiovascular diseases, oncology, women’s health, and radiology.
In 2025, we will continue our commitment to supporting patients with retinal diseases in Romania, with plans to expand our portfolio in this category. Additionally, we are excited to highlight that, at the European level, we have already launched medications for the treatment of prostate cancer and for patients with chronic kidney disease associated with type 2 diabetes, which we hope to make available to Romanian patients as soon as possible.
What can you tell us about your global strategic partnerships to accelerate innovation and bring new therapies to market?
Bayer actively pursues open innovation and strategic alliances to drive transformative advancements in healthcare. The company has made several significant acquisitions and investments that demonstrate its commitment to breakthrough innovation. A key example is the acquisition of AskBio, a US-based biopharmaceutical company specialising in gene therapy research, development, and manufacturing across various therapeutic areas. This acquisition has strengthened Bayer’s cell and gene therapy business, building our earlier acquisition of BlueRock Therapeutics and advancing our efforts to create platforms with potential impact across multiple therapeutic areas.
Additionally, the acquisition of Vividion Therapeutics has expanded our drug discovery capabilities through their innovative chemoproteomic platform technology, enabling the development of new types of therapeutic substances for conditions with high unmet medical needs. Globally, we continue to partner with a wide range of organisations, from biotech startups to established research institutions. Through these collaborations, we combine expertise, share resources, and accelerate the development of innovative treatments for patients worldwide.
