50% of medicines produced in Armenia are exported.

 In the last 5 years, Armenia has exported more medicine than it has imported. The medications were mainly exported to Georgia and imported from Russia.

Hetq has studied the Armenian drug market, resulting in the following overview.

Armenia is one of the EEU member states where the pharmaceutical industry has been developing in recent years.

In the last five years (2016-2020), Armenia has exported 12,289 tons of drugs worth $47,650,000.

Armenia exports these to some 20 countries, the main ones being Georgia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Yemen and Tajikistan.

Likvor, Arpimed, Medical Horizon and Esco Pharm, are four major local producers.

Likvor mainly exports to Eurasia, Central Asia and the Middle East. The main exports are ophthalmic drugs, infusion solutions and antibiotics. Even during the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the company had a 70% increase in anti-glaucoma production compared to the previous year, and in the first half of 2020, it exported $1.8 million worth of products.

Arpimed is the next major manufacturer. It exports about 70 drug varieties. The company exports 40% of its products.

One of the main drugs it exports is Benzonal, an antiepileptic drug. Arpimed mostly exports psychotropic drugs to Georgia.

Psychotropic medications include anti-anxiety agents, antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and stimulants.

Among the company's psychotropic drugs, Glycine and Tetracycline are mainly exported to Ukraine.  Metranidazole-Denta, which is used in dentistry, is exported to Uzbekistan.

Medical Horizon mainly exports various types of temperature-reducing and anti-fungal medications, as well as syrups by special order. Recently, the company has also produced alcogels.

Esco Pharm mainly produces mouthwashes, nasal drops, exporting these to Russia. The Microhagona solvent produced by the company is exported to Georgia. It too has recently started producing alcogels.

Taguhie Piruzyan, director of the Union of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, told Hetq that more than 50% of Armenian medicines are exported.

"Our producers are growing, and our union member companies are helping each other in production processes. In addition, the government is now interested in helping companies. For example, we recently presented the government with our Pharma 2020-2025 development program within the framework of the 2020 export promotion strategy,” Piruzyan told Hetq.

When asked if there have been complaints about the quality of exported Armenian medicines, Piruzyan said, on the contrary, she has always heard positive feedback from international partners.

82% of medications produced in Armenia are exported to Georgia. In 2016-2019, 9447.9 tons of drugs worth US$9.7 million were exported to Georgia.

This medicine is incomparably cheaper than the medicine that Armenia exports to Russia. For example, 12.5% ​​of the total volume of medicines was exported to Russia during the same period. 1438.3 tons of medicines worth $19.5 million were exported to Russia, which is 41% of the total income from the export of medicines.

Armenia exported 2.3% of locally produced drugs to Uzbekistan. (267.7 tons, worth $5.7 million.)

Yemen accounts for 1.3% of Armenian drug exports. In 2016-2019, 145.2 tons of medicines worth $451,000 were exported to that country. 0.45% of Armenian drugs were exported to Tajikistan. (52.2 tons worth $627,000.)

 

2016-2010: Armenia Imported $606.5 Million Worth of Medicine

In the last five years, Armenia imported about 4 tons less medicine than it exported - 8,480 tons, worth a total of $606.452 million.

The drugs are imported to Armenia from about 70 countries, but the main sources are Russia, Germany, France, Belarus, Slovenia and Italy.

40% of drugs were imported to Armenia from Russia. In 2016-2019, 3165 tons of medicines were imported, totaling $41.7 million.

8.2% of medicines were imported to Armenia from Germany.  638 tons of drugs worth $87.5 million were imported during the same period.

7.1% was imported to Armenia from France - 557.2 tons, totaling $48.8 million. 2.25% of imported drugs were imported from Slovenia - 175.9 tons worth $12.7 million, and 1.8% from Italy - 138.4 tons worth $9.7 million.