Preliminary figures show that sales of traditional pharmaceutical maker Slovakofarma, a.s., Hlohovec totaled more than SKK 4.62 billion in 2002. The company sold medicaments, cosmetics, parapharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical substances worth SKK 1.83 billion in its chief export destination, the Czech Republic. Export to this country increased by 1 percent from 2001. Slovakofarma’s exports to other territories went up 5 percent y/y to SKK 1.3 billion, spokesman Pavel Hraska informed SITA.

Sales on the local market amounted to SKK 1.56 billion last year, which is a decrease of 6 percent y/y, stated Mr. Hraska. The decline was not caused by lower sales of pharmaceutical products, but cancellation of supplementary production of additives for ecological fuels. Sales of this commodity reached SKK 213 million in 2001. „We have significantly strengthened our orientation towards chief production programs, which are drugs and pharmaceuticals,“ added Mr. Hraska.

Slovakofarma transformed from a state-run company into a 100-percent joint stock company of the National Property Fund in 1992. After its privatization in 1994, Vienna-based Slovak company SL Pharma Holding GmbH became its majority shareholder.