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Pharmaceutical Industries:
Beximco Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Strategies and Marketing Mix Analysis of
Pharmaceutical Industries: Beximco
Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Submitted to:
Md. Mahiuddin Sabbir
Lecturer
Department of Marketing
University of Barisal
Submitted by:
The Dreamers
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2. COMPANY OVERVIEW
Beximco Pharma (BPL) is the leading pharmaceutical company based in Bangladesh.
Beximco was incorporated in 1976 and commenced operations in 1980 of manufacturing and
marketing of Bayer AG, Germany and Upjohn Inc. In 1983, the company started
manufacturing its own formulations and it launched export operation in 1992. In 2005 BPL
formed a subsidiary known as Beximco Infusions Ltd, the company produced intravenous
products, and later on Bexicom Infusion Ltd was merged with the parent company i.e. BPL.
In the same year it completed the state-of-the-art oral solid dosage plant in compliance with
the US FDA and UK MHRA standards, which has been approved by major global regulatory
bodies.
Today Beximco Pharma is the largest exporter of pharmaceuticals in the Bangladesh and the
only company to win National Export Trophy (Gold), the highest national accolade for
export, for record three times. The company is the largest producer of Metered Dose Inhalers
(MDIs) in the country, and the first to produce CFC free inhalers. BPL is also the first
company to produce anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) locally. As a public limited company, its
shares are actively traded in Dhaka Stock Exchange and Chittagong Stock Exchange, and
Beximco Pharma has the unique distinction of being the only company in the country listed
on AIM of London Stock Exchange.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) is a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical
formulations and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) in Bangladesh. The company is
the largest exporter of pharmaceuticals in the country and its state-of-the-art manufacturing
facilities are certified by global regulatory bodies of Australia, Gulf nations, Brazil, among
others. The company is consistently building upon its portfolio and currently producing more
than 400 products in different dosage forms covering broader therapeutic categories which
include antibiotics, antihypertensive, antidiabetics, antireretrovirals, anti-asthma inhalers etc,
among many others. Ensuring access to quality medicines is the powerful aspiration that
motivates more than 3000 employees of the organization, and each of them is guided by the
same moral and social responsibilities the company values most.
02.1 Mission
Beximco Pharma is committed to enhance human health and well-being by providing
contemporary and affordable medicines, manufactured in full compliance with global quality
standards. It continually strive to improve its core capabilities to address the unmet medical
needs of the patients and to deliver outstanding results for its shareholders.
02.2 Vision
Beximco Pharma will be one of the most trusted, admired and successful pharmaceutical
companies in the region with a focus on strengthening research and development capabilities,
creating partnerships and building presence across the globe.
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3. SWOT Analysis:
Strengths
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (BPL) is a foremost frame pharmaceutical company,
acclaimed for its outstanding product quality, strong brand equity, world- class
manufacturing facilities, product development capabilities and outstanding service.
BPL manufactures and sells generic pharmaceutical formulation products, active
pharmaceutical ingredients and intravenous fluids. The Company also manufactures
and markets its own branded generics for almost all diseases.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd is the largest exporter of pharmaceuticals from
Bangladesh.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has been producing world class pharmaceutical
products following current Good Manufacturing Practice as required by the World
Health Organization (WHO) in order to improve health, happiness and quality of life.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd has effectively captured the local pharmaceutical
market and enjoy a commending share of 9% of the entire market.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd believes that aggressive power of any company will be
importantly dependent on its effectiveness to manage its information resources in the
coming century. They using different type of technology for move their companies to
carrying innovation forward.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has secured market niche in the market by following
cost leadership strategies amid differentiation strategies as well as aggressive
promotional activities. The company’s strong support to the medical community has
gained its brand loyalty from the doctors.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd is keen diversity its capacity of producing and
marketing. Strong export demand and international product registration have led BPL
to embark on a massive capacity expansion program, as evident in completion of the
FDA standard plant will help it to enter into the USA and EUROPE markets.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd manufactures GLAXOSMITHKLINE in halation
aerosol ‘Ventolin’ which proves the quality of the company’s world-class machinery.
Beximco Pharma has already established its value in the customer’s eye as a reputed
company who supplies quality product’s in the market. So the company can enter into
the existing market with its new innovation products without fear.
Beximco Pharma strategic strengths include strong recognition of its brands, highly
skilled work force and diversified business mix.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has products of different therapeutic classes, each of
which, occupies a prominent position in the market and the heart of our customers and
shareholders.
Weaknesses
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) has a narrower product line and number of
products than its most important challenger in the market.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BPL) produces very small kind of inject tables
comparing to its competitors. The inJjects tables market is a large one and it is
captured by the rival companies.
BPL’s sales activities are less founded in remote rural areas.
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Opportunities
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited is the leading drug manufacturer in Bangladesh,
announces that it has commenced exporting drugs into Belize of Central America.
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. manufacturer and the largest pharmaceutical exporter
of Bangladesh, has started supplying medicines to Pacific Island country, Fiji, a
company statement said today.
BPL included twenty five products covering a wide range of therapeutic categories,
including antihistamine, antihypertensive, antibacterial, lipid lowering, respiratory,
and antiulcer ant and pain relievers.
The Company already exports pharmaceuticals into a number of countries in East
Africa and South East Asia and is now seeking to build its presence in Central and
South America.
Threats
Competition from the local pharmaceutical companies and the very specifically in
context of price is a major threat for BPL.
The poor economic status of Bangladesh requires a low price of drugs to ensure
public health. For the reasons like high cost of maintaining quality of products and
high distribution cost etc. the products of BPL cost higher than that of other
companies. As a result BPL is in fear of losing market in the rural areas of
Bangladesh.
Located at Tongi, near the capital city Dhaka, Beximco Pharma’s manufacturing site is spread
over an area of 20 acres, which houses a number of self-contained production units including
oral solids, metered dose inhalers, intravenous fluids, liquids, ointments, creams,
suppositories, ophthalmic drops, injectable, nebulizer solutions etc. The bulk drug unit for
producing paracetamol is also located within this site. Company’s penicillin API and
formulation units are situated at Kaliakoir, a few kilometers from the main site. The plant and
machinery throughout the site have been designed by and procured mostly from renowned
European companies. Beximco Pharma has its own utility infrastructure to ensure adequate
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generation and distribution of purified water at all times. The installed capacity of power
generation is 10 MW. There is also liquid nitrogen generation facility on site.
Today, the name “Beximco Pharma” has become synonymous with trust and reliability.
Quality is its relentless passion. Quality is ingrained in our values and in all that it does.
Beximco Pharma’s business processes and practices are designed to achieve quality results
that would meet the expectations of patients and physicians by getting the highest quality
products, and of shareholders and stakeholders through achieving returns. Their three brands
- Neoceptin R (Ranitidine), Napa (Paracetamol) and Amdocal are the top three selling brands
in the Bangladesh Pharmaceutical market (“Annual Report,” 2010). There were also 55 new
product launched in 2011, (“Annual Report,” 2011).
Beximco Pharma has always been the pioneer in adopting innovative technologies that
introduced both sophistication and scale in its business processes. It also focuses on
improving manufacturing efficiency to meet the challenge of maintaining the bottom line of
the business in an ever-changing competitive market place.
R&D is another area where Beximco Pharma has already shown capability and led the
Bangladesh pharmaceuticals market in both formulation R&D and API R&D. Its formulation
R&D capability is proven not only by the consistent quality of its products but also by its
ability to introduce hi-tech, specialized products and dosage forms. The reverse engineering
capability of the R&D team has enabled it to introduce innovative new products to serve the
ailing people at home and abroad.
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Sales & Marketing Capability Focused on Brand Building
The major source of competitive advantages of Beximco Pharma is its sales and marketing
team. Its marketing team is composed of innovative people from diverse discipline. Because
of the innovative and creative approach adopted by its marketing team, it has been able to
create many vibrant brands like Napa, Neoceptin-R, Amdocal, Neofloxin, Tycil, Omastin,
Azmasol, Bexitrol-F, Atova, Bextram Gold etc. In fact, the ability of its sales and marketing
team to differentiate its brands even in a crowded generic market is its major competitive
advantage.
Beximco Pharma has found to be performing much better than most others in the industry. Its
distribution network is relatively more extensive in comparison to the top industry players. It
covers whole Bangladesh which has an area of 147,570 square-km with over 160 million
populations. Therefore, national wide distribution network serves a huge number of target
customers and end users (patients). National wide distribution network is definitely a strong
favorable key success factor for Beximco Pharma on its own and also relative to its rivals.
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Financial Strength
Beximco Pharma has considerable financial strength in comparison to most but Incepta
Pharmaceuticals Limited is not far behind while Square Pharmaceuticals Limited has
substantial financial strength as well. Relative financial strength is something that Beximco
Pharma should always try to monitor after all this the criteria on which corporations choose
financial decisions regarding its debt/equity mix (capital structure of a firm), maturity
structure (maturity of assets and liability), method of financing investment projects (project
appraisal or capital budgeting) and other decisions with a goal of maximizing the value of the
firm (the value of the shareholders wealth).
Strong Relationships
Through Beximco Pharma’s eyes, at the core of every successful partnership is a professional
relationship based on mutual trust and respect. Beximco Pharma recognizes and understands
that its alliances and partnerships are a core component to accomplishing its strategic global
aspirations. Beximco Pharma believes that the right alliances can contribute appreciably to
the achievements of its partners as well as to its own vision and sustainable growth. Beximco
Pharma has a successful track record of partnerships and alliances with global MNCs such as
GSK, Aventis, Bayer AG, Upjohn Inc. and Ciba. The company has successfully established
its brand value within the medical community. The company seeks to further reinforce its
relationships with all major stakeholders in the healthcare value chain. Beximco Pharma
differentiates itself by providing value added, academic services to the medical community in
the form of seminars and conferences, clinical meetings, scientific publications and so on. It
is engaged in constant communication with doctors to ensure prompt feedback and meet any
requests for academic services.
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effective products, some are the first of their kind and many are ranked number one in their
therapeutic area.
A team of highly qualified people sets BPL’s product feature and attribute. Arts and science
are blended together inside BPL’s products. BPL’s products are designed and engineered in
such manner that their overall presentation, size, shape, color, flavor, viscosity, coating, etc.
are completely different from those of the competitors. Whatever may be the dosage form or
packaging-blister, strip, bottle, cartons, labels etc. BPL’s presentations are widely recognized
for their best aesthetic look among all competitive brands.
Beximco offers a comprehensive range of about 80 formulations in various dosage forms
such as tablets, inhalers, capsules, creams, suspensions, syrups, suppositories, etc. From anti-
ulcerates to vitamins, antibiotics to bronchodilators. Beximco has a widely diversified
product portfolio. Every year the company introduces new products. In 2003 BPL launched
12 new products.
Success of a pharmaceutical company depends on how effectively it establishes its brands in
the market. The excellent blending of world class manufacturing technology and innovative
marketing strategies made BPL successful in achieving brand equity for its products. As a
result the number one product by value and the number one by unit in Bangladesh
pharmaceutical Industry and also the highest selling drug in the cardiovascular class belongs
to BPL.
Asthma inhalers: BPL’s asthma inhalers have enjoyed excellent sales growth over
the years and have received huge response from the patient and doctors. Other
therapeutic classes of drugs where BPL brand still lead include ACE inhibitor,
systemic anti-fungal, respiratory anti-inflammatory, prostatic drug, topical anti
hemorrhoid, digestive enzyme, etc.
Napa: Napa is the highest selling product by unit. Napa has become a household
brand in the mind of physicians as well as consumers of Bangladesh.
Neoceptin R: Neoceptin R is number one product by value. One of the major revenue
earning products of BPL is Neoceptin R. It is also the highest selling product by value
and is the undisputed leader in Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Market.
Amdocal: Highest selling drug in the cardiovascular market Amdocal is one of the
most prestigious and revenue earning products of BPL. It is the highest selling
product in the cardiovascular market.
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Price is not a very important factor due to the nature of the product. Quality is more
important. However, the purchasing capacity of the patients is also an important
consideration. Therefore, it is important for the companies to charge a reasonable price for
their product. According the survey, most of the doctors perceive Beximco as offering
reasonable pricing for their product. It may be due to the fact that Beximco has recently come
up with a very competitive price for some of its key products.
Personal Selling is the interpersonal arm of the promotion mix. Personal selling involves two
way, personal communication between Medical Representatives and doctors. Since Medical
Representatives represent the company to doctors they are vital in creating the image of the
company in the customer’s mind. Therefore, BPL gives extra concern in managing and
sprucing up its Medical Sales team.
The Medical Department arranges seminars and workshops covering a wide range of medical
topics. These events are led by Beximco’s team of Medical service experts and are attended
by members of the medical profession. It also organizes a good number of National Symposia
on specialized medical topics, which are attended by country’s renowned physicians and
scientists.
Newsletter
Special Publications
The pharmaceutical industry is also deeply involved in doctors’ continuing education, and
helps in training prescribes in the uses and techniques of new medicines. GPs and other
health professionals would find it difficult to keep up to date with scientific and medical
advances in health care without these initiatives. Scientific and technical meetings make
available specialist expertise and speakers in therapeutic areas, which the doctors themselves
have often selected as being relevant and useful. Around half of all educational meetings are
sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry and may be in therapeutic and clinical areas in
which the company may have no direct product involvement.
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Beximco takes great care in answering queries from doctors. The Medical Department’s team
of highly dedicated professionals is well trained to attend these queries. The company
encourages doctors to send their queries in postage paid envelopes attached to every copy of
the newsletter or on a specific query form distributed in each clinical meeting. Currently most
of the doctor’s queries are met through its own Internet facilities.
To assist physicians in sharing the results of their academic research and experiences with
the larger medical community, Beximco extends its services to a great extent, in preparation
of presentation packages including slides, transparencies and texts. The medical department
has built up an extensive video library of internationally reputed video journals on different
medical topics. Theses videocassettes are about actual surgical procedures, the latest
information about treatment modalities and various ailments.
A “push” promotional strategy makes use of a company's sales force and trade promotion
activities to create consumer demand for a product.
The producer promotes the product to wholesalers, the wholesalers promote it to retailers,
and the retailers promote it to consumers. A good example of "push" selling is BPL. Its
manufacturing unit promotes their products via retailers to the customers such as many
medical pharmacies. Push Promotion Strategy of BPL: Personal selling and trade promotions
are often the most effective promotional tools for companies. A "push" strategy tries to sell
directly to the consumer, bypassing other distribution channels. With this type of strategy,
consumer promotions personal selling and direct marketing are the most likely promotional
tools.
Reseller
Producers marketing
marketing activities,
activities
Consumer
Producer Retailers
(Pharmacies)
Pull promotion
A “pull” selling strategy is one that requires high spending on advertising and consumer
promotion to build up consumer demand for a product. If the strategy is successful,
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consumers will ask their retailers for the product, the retailers will ask the wholesalers, and
the wholesalers will ask the producers.
Product
The main aim is to develop and maintain an innovative product and service that satisfies
customers. It is modifying its drug according to the market requirement on a continuous
basis. Central pharmaceuticals ltd. Is very innovative in designing its drugs. Although its
market share is not very high it continuously meeting the needs of customers through quality
products.
Pricing
The prices of products under controlled category are determined by the Government while
the manufacturing companies are allowed to fix prices of their products that are under
decontrolled categories. Central Pharmaceuticals has grown accustomed to the pricing
freedom afforded by certain markets. They sometimes face price restrictions, including
reference pricing, profit limits, price reductions and other measures combine to create a
global market with price constraints growing increasingly numerous. In this increasingly
complex marketplace, CPL use segmentation analysis, health outcomes research, parallel
trade evaluation and demand analysis to craft a coherent pricing strategy that anticipates
regulatory entanglements.
Distribution Channel
CPL has the strongest distribution network for smoothing distribution of medicines to all
parts of the country. Currently it has 10 depots all over the country. Those are situated at
Dhaka, Bogra, Khulna, Barisal, Comilla, Mymensingh, Chittagong, Noakhali, Rajshahi and
Madaripur. It uses own transport system to deliver its product to the stockiest and retailer.
Promotional activities
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In Bangladesh, promotion of pharmaceuticals products in the mass media is strictly
prohibited. Manufacturing companies can only promote their brands to the health
professionals by personal selling, clinical meetings, seminars and symposia. For promotion
with printed promotional materials like literatures, pads, posters and stickers, the
manufacturing have to submit the same to the drugs administration for approvals and upon
their clearance the companies can promote their products using those promotional tools.
Scope of spending money on marketing of Central
pharmaceuticals
Free samples-56%
Detailing of physicians-25%
Direct to user advertising-12.5%
Hospital detailing-4%
Journal ads-2%
Marketing to health care providers takes four main forms:
Gifting,
Detailing,
Drug samples, and
Sponsoring continuing medical education (CME).
7. RECOMMENDATIONS
Promotion & CSR Activities
BPL should focus more on the CSR activities to create a strong brand image to make
people aware from the root level. Because it has no promotional campaign on TV or
radio that’s why CSR activities can be a key to get involvement in the community.
To make people aware about their health safety in the rural level, BPL should arrange
workshops about different health issues so that the rural people can protect themselves
from various diseases that attack continuous intervals. It will help BPL to make
people know about its brand name.
BPL should undertake various public awareness campaigns through billboard, poster
and leaflet about health, environment and safety issues that indirectly attach itself in
the mind of customers.
Providing Incentives
BPL should provide more necessary incentives to the doctors so that they can
prescribe its drugs to the customers.
To occupy the maximum space in the shelves of in the retail drug house, it should be
more careful to the requirements of the retailers.
Redesigning Pricing Strategy
It should be more sensitive in setting price so that it can gain ultimate profit objectives
by meeting the needs of the target customers.
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BPL should give more emphasis on the skill development of its employees. It should
also arrange training programs for its medical representatives because they are the
ultimate front line employees who have direct interaction with the target audiences
and provide necessary information as needed for the organization.
To retain customers, BPL should give more attention on their field force. In this
regard, they can employ more talented & educated people as representative.
08. CONCLUSION
Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited should increase its product variety. Product variety
represents different types of items of medicines. At present, Beximco offers around 180
different types of medicine. Some other companies are offering more than this. BPL can
diversify itself from others by operating in highly specialized segments such as anti-cancer
segments. Introduction of new products to doctors is vital because it can enhance the image
of the company. It is always a good idea to find a gap to introduce a new item. Beximco can
locate the products areas where there are less number of alternatives and also higher amounts
of requirements. BPL’s promotion is quite weak. They should provide more product samples
gifts to the doctors to increase their image among them.
References
I. Beximco Phamaceuticals Limited: <http://www.beximco-pharma.com/>
II. <http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?date=2012-03-
18&news_id=123819>
III. <http://www.advfn.com/news_Beximco-Pharmaceuticals-Ltd-
AGMStatement_52957815.html>
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IV. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/48694794/Bangladesh-pharmaceutical-industry>
<http://www.scribd.com/doc/89024982/Strategic-Plan-for-BPL>
V. “Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd: Building A Healthier Tomorrow”. Articles Base.
August 04, 2010. < http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/beximco-
pharmaceuticals-ltdbuilding-a-healthier-tomorrow-2956604.html >
VI. Habib, Anamul & Alam, Zahedul. (2011) “Business Analysis of Pharmaceutical Firms
in Bangladesh: Problems and Prospects” Volume–VI, Number–01, January-June,
2011 .
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