Pharmaceutical maker Antibiotice Iasi (east) aims this year at 3.5 percent of domestic market of medicines, by 0.3 percent more than in 2005, Ziarul Financiar writes.

The company estimates a gross profit of 8.5 million euros, up 24.4 percent versus the 2005 value.
The development strategy for this year is mainly based on increasing the volume of exports, by registering and selling new products on the international market and making important investments for increasing the competitiveness of the company's products.
The 2006 investments are focused on upgrading the department of injecting products and starting a water treatment unit and a waste incinerator.

The company posted last year a turnover of 45.2 million euros, by 35 percent more versus 2004, and a gross profit of 6.5 million euros, up 51 percent.

The majority stake of Antibiotice Iasi is owned by the Authority for Privatising State's Assets and is to be put up for privatization in the coming months. Other shareholders are investment fund Broadhurst and SIF Oltenia.

Pharmaceutical group Montero, with activities in distribution and retail sale of medicines, company Phönix Laboratorium of Hungary, producer Ozone Laboratories and Canadian company Acic Pharmaceuticals have announced so far their interest in participating in the privatization of Antibiotice.

The market value of Antibiotice is estimated at 180 million euros, some 40 times more than the Aevaluation in 1998 -1999, when the variant of privatizationAC was presented for the first time.