ICN Polfa Rzeszow becomes first Polish drug company to export to the West

ICN Polfa Rzeszow is the first Polish pharmaceutical producer to start expo rting its products to Western Europe. The first batch of drugs - 40,000 pac kages of oncological ointment, which was sold to Britain should have been e nough to satisfy market demands for a whole year. "However, it sold out wit hin a month and we are preparing the next shipment," said Mariusz Gajownicz ek, president of ICN Polfa Rzeszow. He added, "We are now half way through securing permits for sales of the medicine to other EU countries and Austra lia. In the fall we are planning to enter the German market". Exports to the West has been made possible thanks to a GMP certificate from the German Hea lth Organization for the ointment, the first such certificate received by P olish pharmaceutical company for a finished product. "In 2002 we are planni ng to increase sales by 30% and boost our net profit by a few percent," said Gajowniczek. Last year the company had sales worth zl. 174 million and a net profit of zl. 35 million. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B4) P.W.