Pharmaceutical Sector of Bangladesh
The pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh is one of the most developed technology sectors within Bangladesh. Manufacturers produce insulin, hormones, and cancer drugs. This sector provides 97% of the total medicinal requirement of the local market. The industry also exports medicines to global markets, including Europe. Pharmaceutical companies are expanding their business with the aim to expand the export market.

History
Right after liberation war three fourth of the pharmaceutical industries was dominated by multinational companies. The National Drug Policy (NDP) in 1982 and 2005 has major impact in the development and growth of the Bangladesh pharmaceutical industry.

Key points of National Drug Policy of 1982
 To provide administrative and legislative support for ensuring quality of essential drugs which are relevant to the national health need.
 To reduce the price of medicine by ensuring the lowest competitive price.
 To eliminate non-essential medicine from the market
 To promote production of local drug and raw materials.
 To develop proper drug monitoring and information system to prevent wasteful misuse and to ensure the proper utilization of the drugs.
 To ensure GMP and qualified pharmacist in manufacturing companies.

Drug Regulatory Authorities in Bangladesh
• The Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA)
• The Pharmacy Council of Bangladesh (PCB)

Local Market Overview
The Bangladesh pharmaceutical marketplace is predominantly a branded generic marketplace. Pharmaceutical firms in Bangladesh can either sell to the private sector pharmacies, to the government and its public health care facilities, or to international organizations operating in Bangladesh (e.g. UNICEF).

Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies in Bangladesh
Growth of Bangladesh’s Pharmaceutical Market, 2007–12 (according to BAPI):
Si. No. Name of the Company Market Size (BDT) Market Share (%) Growth (%)
1 Square 19,722,066,693 19.4 12.55
2 Incepta Pharma 10,184,993,624 10.02 11.84
3 Beximco 8,967,999,031 8.82 8.04
4 Opsonin Pharma 5,302,711,389 5.21 4.77
5 Renata 5,056,968,911 4.97 8.75
6 Eskayef 4,547,963,290 4.47 4.28
7 Aristopharma 4,382,948,837 4.31 11.37
8 A.C.I. 4,263,630,198 4.19 8.69
9 Acme 3,954,249,448 3.89 5.76
10 Drug International 3,924,562,931 3.86 10.51

Year Growth (%)
2012 26.2
2011 23.6
2010 23.8
2009 16.8
2008 6.9
2007 15.8

Current Market Review
According to IMS Report of 4th quarter of 2013 the current local pharmaceutical market scenario of Bangladesh is as follows
 Total Market: 101,685,403,612 BDT
 Annual Growth: 8.12%

Top Drug Groups
These drugs are used in the treatment of many conditions, such as
• Dyspepsia
• Peptic ulcer disease
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD or GORD)
• Laryngopharyngeal reflux
• Barrett's esophagus
• Eosinophilic esophagitis
• Stress gastritis prevention
• Gastrinomas and other conditions that cause hypersecretion of acid
• Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (often 2-3x the regular dose is required as compared to the other indications)
• Bacterial infection
• Protozoan infection, e.g., metronidazole is effective against several parasitics
• Immunomodulation, e.g., tetracycline, which is effective in periodontal inflammation, and dapsone, which is effective in autoimmune diseases such as oral mucous membrane pemphigoid
These drugs are used in the treatment of many conditions, such as
• Bacterial infection
• Protozoan infection, e.g., metronidazole is effective against several parasitics
• Immunomodulation, e.g., tetracycline, which is effective in periodontal inflammation, and dapsone, which is effective in autoimmune diseases such as oral mucous membrane pemphigoid
These are also used in prevention of infection, like
• Surgical wound
• Dental antibiotic prophylaxis
• Conditions of neutropenia, e.g. cancer-related

Top Ten Brands (December, 2013; IMS)
Brand Name Drug Class Name of the Company Growth (%)
Seclo Proton Pump Inhibitor Square 35.05
Losectil Proton Pump Inhibitor Eskayef -6.43
Maxpro Proton Pump Inhibitor Renata 22.41
Pantonix Proton Pump Inhibitor Incepta 13.11
Cef-3 Antibiotic Square 13.92
Napa Anti-pyretic Beximco 4.34
Neotack Anti-ulcerant Square 3.58
Napa Extra Anti-pyretic Beximco 12.04
Sergel Health Care 28.73
Zimax Antibiotic Square -4.22

Top Five Multinational Pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh
Sl. No. Name of The Company Market Size Market Share (%) Growth (%)
1 Novo Nordisk 2,083,257,490 2.05 -5.85
2 Sanofi Aventis 2,032,579,187 2.00 -6.38
3 Glaxosmithkline (GSK) 1,694,068,206 1.67 4.43
4 Novartis 1,373,449,983 1.35 9.16
5 Roche 709,712,519 0.70 8.66

Marketing Strategy of Pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh
• Their distributional channel includes invoice system, own distribution channel.
• Medical representatives are the key persons in marketing.
• For promotion, the groups such as doctors, surgeons are targeted.
• Major promotional strategies include printed promotional materials, physical sample, and clinical materials.
• Special incentives are given to the doctors. For example, the doctors are given honeymoon packages, the cost of which is borne by the pharmaceuticals.
Customer’s Choice of Brand Name
Brand Name Respondent (in %)
Square 38
Beximco 24
Incepta 16
Glaxo SmithKline 8
Acme 6
SK-F 4
Others 4

Drug Quality of Bangladesh
While some Bangladeshi pharmaceutical products on the market are of world-class standards, others are less so. Medical professionals and pharmacists interviewed voiced strong opinions on the quality levels of different brands. Although further comprehensive and systematic analysis is required to assess Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical quality, some anecdotal reports exist of lower quality drugs

Conclusion
The pharmaceutical sector has already been declared as the thrust sector by the government of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has built a strong baseline and going towards the self-sufficiency for the production of medicine. Our pharmaceutical industries are successful in domestic market. Now, it’s the time to grow our international market because we passing golden time getting the opportunity of patent exemption by the TRIPS until 2016. like RMG may encourage pharmaceutical exporters. International fair arrangement by Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is a very effective way to search buyers and to establish business in a new country.