Protek has again become the largest drug supplier in Russia
Source：Vtdomosti
From：Taiwan Trade Center, Moscow
Update Time：2023/06/11
"Protek" Vadim Yakunin three years later again became the largest drug supplier in Russia. The Group overtook competitors, including through participation in public procurement.
According to the results of the 1st quarter of 2023, Protek Group took the 1st place in the rating of the largest pharmaceutical distributors in Russia, which was compiled by the analytical company DSM Group. Its turnover in the first three months of this year amounted to 76.8 billion rubles. (against RUB 82.2 billion in the same period in 2022), and the market share increased from 13 to 13.6%. At the same time, the former leader of this segment, Puls, according to the DSM Group, fell to 3rd place in the ranking. The turnover of this pharmaceutical distributor in the first quarter of this year decreased from 90.3 billion to 72 billion rubles, and the share decreased from 14.3 to 12.7%. Katren, which earned 76.7 billion rubles in the first three months of 2023, retained the 2nd place. This company now occupies 13.5% of the market (against 13.2% in Q1 2022). Representatives of Protek and Katren confirmed the accuracy of the data provided by DSM Group. Pulse did not respond to Vedomosti's request.
Protek Group of Companies includes the distributor CV Protek, the network of Atlas clinics, the pharmaceutical companies Sotex and Rapharma, as well as the pharmacies Rigla, Bud Zdorov!, Zhivika and Zdravcity Apteka. The main owner of the company is businessman Vadim Yakunin. Protek was the market leader in pharmaceutical distributors until 2020. Then the company lost 1st place in the rating to Pulse, which maintained this position until the 1st quarter of 2023.
In recent years, Protek has begun to actively participate in public procurement, which helped the company to become the industry leader again, explains Sergey Shulyak, CEO of DSM Group. Whereas earlier, according to him, the group's sales grew mainly due to the pharmacy segment, which sank a lot. According to SPARK-Interfax, if in 2020 CV Protek concluded contracts for 652.7 million rubles as part of public procurement, then in 2021-2022. the amount of contracts increased to 1.4 billion and 1.5 billion rubles. respectively. RNC Pharma Development Director Nikolai Bespalov, however, calls these volumes insignificant. In his opinion, the group was able to regain its leading position due to the fact that it began to “cleanse its customer base” before its competitors, leaving only the most reliable partners among pharmacy chains. This made it possible to eliminate the risks of non-repayment of debts on commodity loans, he says.
The total volume of the pharmaceutical market in the first quarter of 2023 decreased by 12% (to RUB 566 billion) compared to the same period last year, according to DSM Group. At the same time, sales of drugs in the framework of public procurement decreased by only 2%. Analysts of the company explain the drop by the fact that in 2022 the revenue of pharmacies grew strongly against the backdrop of another wave of coronavirus infection and excitement due to the start of a special military operation and the imposition of economic sanctions, as a result of which consumers stocked up on imported drugs. This is also pointed out by Bespalov, who adds that this year, due to a decrease in incomes of the population, the activity of buyers turned out to be lower. Representatives of the Association of Independent Pharmacies and the Apteka Pharma network believe that it is for these reasons to compare the first quarters of 2022 and 2023. incorrectly. Dmitry Pogrebinsky, General Director of CV Protek, expects that during 2023 the sales of pharmaceutical distributors in monetary terms will grow at least in line with inflation. But in the packages, in his opinion, there will be a fall. Now there is an active process of import substitution of medicines, Pogrebinsky notes, adding that against this background, Russian suppliers have good prospects for development.
According to DSM Group, 72.4% was the share of the top 10 distributors in the pharmaceutical market in Q1 2023.
Despite the fact that there is no particular drop in demand for medicines from buyers, there are no additional drivers for market growth, as it was in 2022, now, says Victoria Presnyakova, Executive Director of the Association of Independent Pharmacies. Moreover, according to Bespalov, 2023 could be a turning point for many pharmacy chains - some will have to close outlets and optimize their activities. The representative of Apteka 25 speaks about the same, he expects the market to stagnate.
Source: https://www.vedomosti.ru/business/articles/2023/05/11/974473-protek-vadima-yakunina-stal-krupneishim-postavschikom-lekarstv-v-rossii?utm_campaign=newspaper_11_5_2023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=vedomosti