Polfarma seeks permission for blood-related product bank

Polfarma, the biggest domestic drug producer, wants to establish a bank of blood-related products, although permission from the Health Ministry has not yet been forthcoming, Jerzy Starlak, the firm's owner, has revealed. Polfarma subsidiary Pharmacom New Technology would most likely be responsible for launching the project, should it get the go ahead, with both Polfarma itself and Baxter Terpol, which is also partially owned by Starlak, also being involved. Since its privatization four years ago, Polfarma has received zł.400 million worth of investments and last year posted a profit of over zł.100 million on revenues totaling zł.850 million. The company is currently hatching plans to enter the Russian market and buy up local pharmaceutical concern Nizpharma. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 8) J.J.