Novartis AG is about to build a plant in Russia

Novartis AG is planning to build a 2-billion-units plant in the territory of a pharmaceutical cluster in Saint-Petersburg. The level of investment will make up 500 billion dollars within the next 5 years.

The beginning of construction works is planned to be carried out in the territory of a special economic zone Novoorlovskaya in 2011. Transition to a full capacity is planned to be achieved by the year 2014.

According to Joseph Jiminez, Novartis Executive Director, "the existing partnership with Russia offers a possibility of enlarging our presence in the key developing market... The given partnership shows intention to contribute to realization of Russian government's ambitious plans in the field of health care".

A group of AIPM members had announced their desire to develop special projects in the territory of Russian Federation over the last 2 years. Sanofi-aventis had acquired "Bioton-Vostok", one of the largest insulin enterprises  in Russia, in the end of 2009. Several agreements concerning creation of Berlin-Chemie and Novo Nordisk production capacities had been concluded with regional administration in spring 2009. In summer 2009 Nycomed had launched the building of a plant in Yaroslavl. Teva is also seeking area for its future pharmaceutical enterprise.

Sources: BFM.ru; Vedomosti.