thinkpool

"Net sales of the Specialty Products business division were similar to the previous year.

 The halt to growth was due to changes in the market environment and ever-intensifying competition, 

for example in Finland, where changes were made to the pricing system for substitutable prescription drugs at the beginning of the year that narrowed the so-called price band. 

In addition, sales of Remsima, which delivered clear growth in previous years, were slightly lower in the first quarter than in the comparative period, mainly due to the timing of the national tendering competition in Norway.

Sales of generic products account for a significant proportion of Orion''s total sales, and price competition has continued in many markets. 

Competition in Finland, the most important generic market for Orion, will remain intense in 2017. In addition, at the beginning of the current year in Finland changes were made to the pricing system for substitutable prescription drugs by narrowing the so-called price band. The estimated negative impact of this change on Orion''s sales has been taken into account in the outlook estimate. However, product launches continue to support Orion''s position as market leader. In 2016 sales of Remsima(®) generated a significant portion of the growth in net sales of the Speciality Products business division. Sales of the product in the current year are expected to be similar to the previous year.

Finland, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe and Russia are the most important markets for Specialty Products.

 The business division''s sales in Finland in January-March 2017 were up by 3% at EUR 72 (70) million due to good growth in sales of self-care products and Remsima(®).

Net sales of the biosimilar Remsima for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis among other things were down by 6% at EUR 11 million due to the timing of the national tendering competition in Norway.