The country’s second largest drug maker Sopharma is planning to invest EUR 30mn to EUR 40mn in a new plant in the capital city of Sofia , company CEO Ognian Donev says in an interview for Dnevnik daily. Construction works are expected to start by the end of this year and to continue 18 months. The company will use own funds and leveraged financing in the project, which is seen as the most important pillar of its long-term expansion strategy. Despite the ambitious investment plan, Donev comments that the shareholders’ meeting of Sopharma will most likely retain the practice from the past several years to distribute around  50% of the net profit for dividends. Last year, the consolidated net profit of the drug maker dropped by 16% y/y to BGN 28.2mn (EUR 14.4mn) due to significant investments for expansion in the retail segment. The sales booked in the consolidated report of the company grew by about 50% y/y to EUR 101.2mn. According to Donev, Sopharma and the other major pharmaceutical company Actavis Bulgaria hold roughly equal shares of 10% each on the local market. The new plant of Sopharma will most likely move the company ahead of Actavis Bulgaria in terms of total sales at local and global level.