The Swiss Pharmaceutical Market Is Projected to Be Worth US$7bn by 2010.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c55441) has announced the addition of Switzerland Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report Q4 2006 to their offering.

The Switzerland Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Report provides independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on Switzerland's pharmaceuticals & healthcare industry.

Switzerland's healthcare system is one of the most highly developed in the world, with approximately 12% of the country's GDP spent on hospitals, doctors and drugs. The multinational firms Novartis and Roche are based in Basel and are both currently posting strong financial results at a time when most drug makers are experiencing a downturn in fortunes. We are expecting modest but continuous growth from the Swiss pharmaceutical market over the next five years, reaching a valuation of nearly US$7bn by 2010.

Parallel importers are engaged in determined lobbying in Switzerland to ensure that revisions to the country's patent legislation will allow the parallel importing of branded medicines, much to the consternation of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry. Meanwhile, companies are beginning parallel imports of generics into the country.

Swiss health insurance premiums are set to increase by an average of only 2.2% next year, with the introduction of competitive generics prices a major factor in slowing cost growth. Switzerland historically had the highest generics prices in Europe because of reimbursement rules that gave little incentive to prescribe them. Fee adjustments for laboratory procedures have also contributed to savings.

Reaffirming the country's status as 'high price island', a survey released in October 2006 revealed that most Swiss people increasingly want access to a broad range of medical services even though fewer choices might result in reducing spiralling healthcare costs. The 1,200-subject study published by the Bern Research Institute also found that the majority of respondents are in favour of offering financial incentives to those who maintain a healthy lifestyle. BMI is not surprised at these findings and expects the country to continue spending a significant portion of its GDP on healthcare.

Germany's Merck KGaA is set to acquire domestic firm Serono. By December 2006, anti-trust approval had been received from the European Commission and its US counterpart. The combined entity will be called Merck-Serono, and it is likely to have its headquarters at Merck's current base in Darmstadt, Germany. It will be Europe's fifth largest drugmaker behind UK company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), French firm Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis and the newly formed Bayer-Schering of Germany. Merck-Serono will have a market valuation of around US$32bn, annual sales of almost US$10bn and a research budget exceeding US$1bn.

Topics Covered
 Executive Summary
 Switzerland Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare Industry SWOT
 Political SWOT
 Economic SWOT
 Business Environment Rankings
 Western Europe
 Table: Western Europe Business Environment Rankings
 Business Environment Ranking
 Economics - Long-Term Risk
 Politics - Long-Term Risk
 Regulatory Barriers
 Domestic Sector Threat
 Market Growth Potential
 Market Size Ranking
 Switzerland: Market Summary
 Regulatory Regime
 Intellectual Property Developments
 Pricing & Reimbursement Issues
 Table: A Comparison Of Medicine Prices In Western Europe
 Industry Developments
 Healthcare Sector
 Pharmaceuticals Sector
 Table - Domestic Pharmaceutical Companies In Switzerland
 Domestic Industry
 Multinational Sector
 R&D Sector
 Hospital Sector
 Pharmacy Sector
 Biotech Sector
 Industry Forecast Scenario
 Overall Market Forecast
 Table: Health Expenditure Indicators
 Key Growth Factors - Industry
 Table: Health Expenditure Indicators
 Key Growth Factors - Macroeconomic
 Table: Switzerland - Macroeconomic Forecasts
 Prescription Market Forecast
 Table: Switzerland Prescription Drugs Market Forecast
 Indicators
 OTC Market Forecast
 Table: Switzerland OTC Market Forecast Indicators
 Generics And Branded Market Forecasts
 Table: Switzerland Generics & Branded Market Forecast
 Indicators
 Export/Import Forecasts
 Table: Switzerland Pharmaceuticals Exports & Imports Forecast
 Indicators
 Key Risks To BMI's Forecast Scenario
 Competitive Landscape
 Company Profiles
 Leading Multinational Manufacturers
 GSK
 Pfizer
 Sanofi-Aventis
 Merck & Co
 Indigenous Manufacturer Profiles
 Novartis
 Roche
 Serono
 BMI Forecast Modelling
 How We Generate Our Industry Forecasts
 Technical Process
 Pharmaceutical Industry
 Sources
 Appendix: Switzerland Demographic Data
 Section 1: Population
 Table: Demographic Indicators (2005)
 Table: Rural/Urban Breakdown
 Section 2: Education & Healthcare
 Table: Education
 Table: Healthcare: Vital Statistics
 Table: Healthcare: Expenditure
 Section 3: Labour Market And Spending Power
 Table: Employment Indicators
 Table: Consumption And Stratification
 Table: Wages Per Year
Companies Mentioned
- GSK
- Pfizer
- Sanofi-Aventis
- Merck & Co
- Novartis
- Roche
- Serono

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http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c55441.