36.6, the federal chain of drugstores, acquired Yekaterinburg-based chain Atoll Pharm. Some experts believe this could be an approximately $15m transaction that gives 36.6 a chance to achieve the leading position on the Ural market – a desirable target for all the federal players at the moment. Rigla, the company’s major rival, as well as O3, a chain of pharmacies recently bought by Protec, Rigla’s proprietor, also have some outlets located in Yekaterinburg.

Atoll Pharm had 45 stores in August 2006 and mainly competed with the local Zdravnik and Zhivika and Pharmacia, the state-owned chain. According to PharmExpert, Pharmacia with its 15% share of the market is currently the key player, Zdravnik and Zhivika have 7% shares each, and Atoll Pharm falls short of these two chains by only 2%. As for 36.6, it only owned five stores in Yekaterinburg at the end of the third quarter of 2006.