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Kalbe allocates Rp 200 billion for drugs, nutrition research
Publicly listed pharmaceutical company Kalbe Farma Tbk has set aside Rp 200 billion (US$14.8 million) to develop products through its research and development facilities this year.
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Two Kalbe Farma researchers work at the company's Stem-cell and Cancer Institute (SCI). The company has allocated Rp 200 billion (US$14.8 million) to develop products through its research and development facilities this year. (Courtesy of http://www.kalbe.co.id//-)
Publicly listed pharmaceutical company Kalbe Farma Tbk has set aside Rp 200 billion (US$14.8 million) to develop products through its research and development facilities this year.
Kalbe corporate secretary Vidjongtius said the research would lead to more inventions of nutritional foods and beverages, the two fastest-growing segments last year.
The company’s nutritional food and beverage division registered sales growth of 11.6 percent, the highest among all segments in 2015, to Rp 5.1 trillion. New products include Benecol nutritional drink, Hydrococo drink and low-calorie snack FitBar.
“In the pharmaceutical business, you need to keep innovating to succeed […] People only buy drugs when they’re sick, but nutritional products are consumed by both sick and healthy people. That’s why the latter have booked better sales,” Vidjongtius said in East Jakarta on Tuesday.
Prescribed drugs sales declined by 0.8 percent to Rp 4.29 billion last year, along with logistics revenue that dropped by 2.2 percent to Rp 5.4 trillion. Meanwhile, health product sales rose 4.9 percent to Rp 3.07 trillion.
Overall, Kalbe booked 3 percent growth in sales to Rp 17.8 trillion. This year, the company is aiming for 8 to 10 percent growth in sales to Rp 19.58 trillion by delivering a total of 10 to 15 new brands across business segments.
The new products will add to its existing 400 drugs brands– including Woods cough syrup and Mixagrip flue relief, and almost 100 health and nutritional products–including Extra Joss energy drink and elderly nutrition Entrasol.
Alongside major player Kalbe, there are 205 companies competing in Indonesia’s pharmaceutical business, including state-owned firm Kimia Farma. The industry registered Rp 62 trillion in sales in 2015. (ags)
