 SOTHEMA is a fast growing pharmaceutical company based in the region of Casablanca, Morocco. The very beginning of SOTHEMA project started in 1976 with the production of a toothpaste and mouthwash as main activity. The portfolio of the laboratory consisted in only two references and the number of employees didn’t exceed 10 people. In 1980, SOTHEMA built its first real factory of 2600 m² covered area in the industrial zone of Bouskoura, located about 20 km from Casablanca. Alongside this investment, SOTHEMA recruited new partner laboratories leaders in scientific research. Thanks to these partnerships, SOTHEMA managed to launch new types of drugs on the Moroccan market and has built a specialist position in several activities. Indeed, SOTHEMA started in 1983 the production of insulin. A few years later, SOTHEMA began the production of serum in flexible pouches and eye-drops. Its industrial site has undergone numerous extensions to reach the covered surface of 65,000 m² with 5 production units like the unit of cephalosporins and another one for injected drugs. Thanks to technologies, know-how of its employees and manufacturing quality recognized by the major international laboratories, SOTHEMA is now the leading Moroccan laboratory in shaping for 33 foreign clients and a leader in export. In the future, the company will make more value added biotechnology products such as vaccines and anti-hepatic. Today SOTHEMA is a company with strong values and assets. Its IPO in 2005 made it the first Moroccan pharmaceutical laboratory listed on the stock exchange. This will give SOTHEMA access to larger financing possibilities for the future expansion of the group in Morocco and abroad.Export and opening factories abroadA large and growing part of the company’s production is destined to exportation, mainly to the north and west of Africa but also to Europe, and Persian Gulf. One of the company’s ambitions is to expand in the future on American and European markets thanks to free trade agreements signed by Morocco. To stimulate its foreign development on the African continent, SOTHEMA decided to set up a subsidiary in Senegal. That’s how WEST AFRIC PHARMA opened recently a 4000 m² factory - fully equipped with the highest quality standards of the pharmaceutical industry - which is dedicated to the production of generic drugs for the west African markets. This huge project which will help Senegal to be self-sufficient in the drug production was launched a few years ago but the industrial production just started at the end of 2010.The main strength of the company: the qualityAccording to SOTHEMA’s CEO Omar TAZI, the reputation of the company and its products is the first priority: « At SOTHEMA, we know what really count is not what we say about ourselves but rather what is said about us and what we do. » Sothema’s production is submitted to a series of controls implemented internally and by principal laboratories and external organisms. They are determining since they allow SOTHEMA to guarantee the conformity of its fabrication with the most recognized standards of quality in the pharmaceutical field. This recognition binds the moral responsibility of the enterprise regarding its partners. Besides the accreditations by the European agencies such as the AFSSAP and INFARMED, SOTHEMA is certified in conformity with the pharmaceutical norms GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices). From a commercial point of view, SOTHEMA is also certified in conformity with the ISO 9001 version 2000 standard. Thanks to these international recognitions of its high quality standards, SOTHEMA has the confidence of several major companies of the sector which entrust a part of their production to SOTHEMA’s factories.A company proud of its peopleAs a technological company, SOTHEMA’s main resource is its staff which reach today more than 850 people including 100 managers. With its particular philosophy concerning the human resources management, SOTHEMA makes of the employee its top priority. It also endeavors to maintain the respect and the rigorous implementation of the procedures as well as their simplification. Objective: to facilitate the implementation of tasks and humanize the relations between the Sothemians. The human resources policy of SOTHEMA is based on strong values of respect for employees, trust and demand. The stages of HR process are : recruitment, training, career management, etc. The integration of new employees in SOTHEMA is made according to their training, experience and also their human potential. For the common interest, the employees can choose their mission. Coaching is a variable that cannot be dissociated from the SOTHEMA’s HR policy. Indeed, the managers are close to their teams in order to help them in the accomplishment of their tasks. They regularly and rigorously follow the process of the mission of each member. As Mr. Omar Tazi says the personal involvement of SOTHEMA’s employees is very important : «With the Sothemians, we form a real family that really believes in our motto “Energies for life”. » An environment friendly companySOTHEMA has established a system for environmental and industrial security in conformity with the international norms in terms of protection of the environment and industrial security. The existence of a HES department (Health Environment & Security) is a proof that the company has adopted the culture of security. A real warning, this department works in synergy with all the elements composing the organization of SOTHEMA. It works to maintain security for all the employees, reduce the risk of industrial accidents, clean and treat toxic waste resulting from the production stage. Bouskoura’s wadi was in danger because of the industrial zone but SOTHEMA built a waste water treatment plant in order to preserve the nature. For the same reasons, SOTHEMA decided that a large part of its 6 hectares land in Bouskoura will remain unbuilt to let some free space for nature. SOTHEMA also created the Omar TAZI’s foundation (from the name of its president and founder) which will promote and finance charity projects in area of health, culture and micro-finance.SOTHEMA and European marketAt the European level, the dynamic of the concentrations of pharmaceutical companies is still ongoing. The European laboratories are involved in more and more R & D and neglect the industry. For a laboratory like SOTHEMA, this represents an opportunity to grab as they introduce itself as a major industrial partner for these companies. According to SOTHEMA, European pharmaceutical companies have much to gain by working with it for production contracts and promotion in Morocco and Africa where it has an outstanding presence.
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 You probably have heard the name before. It’s been around for a long time. You maybe even have a clue what does the firm produce. You’ve seen the logo, you’ve watched the commercials. It’s hard to ignore, as Merck is one of the most active pharmaceutical companies worldwide. You’ve been a customer and perhaps you didn’t even know it. The variety of goods produced at Merck’s is truly impressive. Little do you know that there are two companies called Merck...Pharmacy ages agoIt all began way back in the seventeenth century. In 1668, Friedrich Jacob Merck, a German pharmacist from Darmstadt decided to take a risk and acquire a company called Angel Pharmacy. Thus began the history of the oldest pharmaceutical enterprise still operating on any market. The 18th century was a time of development for the enterprise, however it’s in 1816, when Emanuel Merck took over the company, when a vast progress began. His scientific background combined with technology available only at Merck’s factory at that time allowed him to concentrate on his studies, which resulted in the ability to isolate alkaloids. In just a couple of decades Merck’s business shifted its focus almost entirely to production of alkaloids. A chemical-pharmaceutical factory was consequently built. Medications produced by Merck (including cocaine, back then produced for medical purposes only) truly changed the face of the health care of the time. Subsidiaries were shortly founded in London, Russia and, naturally, the United States. The American subsidiary was said to be the best business investment to date. If only anyone could predict the outbreak of the World War I. As a consequence of the war, Merck lost control of its subsidiaries overseas, including the American one. Its shares had been sold in the United States and even though a part of them were bought back by George Merck, a member of the Merck dynasty, the company changed its name to Merck & Co. and to this day remains an independent company.Merck during and after the World War IIThe World War I didn’t seem like much of a setback for the enterprise. In the 20s and 30s it continued its expansion by founding another subsidiaries in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. It launched its another famous product – Cebion – the first vitamin C to be commercialized. Its activated charcoal tablets were of common use. Unfortunately, during the times of the Third Reich, the company was brought into submission of the party and as such, was destroyed by a targeted air raid of the allies. 60 lives were lost and most of the buildings were destroyed – it sure did not seem like the firm was going to be able to compete in the international markets. However, some of the subsidiaries overseas were quickly brought back under Merck’s wing. The factory in Germany was rapidly rebuilt. The power of the progress was unstoppable. A series of successful innovations were introduced, which allowed the company to continue its development.Merck worldwide and in SpainCurrently Merck is present in more than 60 countries and employs almost 33 thousands people. With 54 production centers in 24 countries is one of the most globally active companies worldwide. Recently, the acquisition of a company called Serono, one of the world leaders in biotechnology, only strengthen the position of the enterprise. One of the most important branches of Merck is the Spanish branch, with three headquarters – located near Barcelona, Madrid and Tres Cantos – is one of the five most efficient subsidiaries. Founded in 1924, the Spanish branch has come a long way during the 20th century and has almost a thousand employees on the payroll at the moment. Nowadays, the firm’s activity is based on two important sectors – pharmaceuticals and chemicals. The pharmaceutical part of the business focuses on over the counter medicines (cough & cold remedies, diet supplements, women and children care products) and – due to the aforementioned acquisition of Serono – innovative prescription drugs. The latter consists of drugs attempting to cure diseases with unmet medical needs such as cancer, infertility or cardiovascular diseases. The chemical branch however concentrates on several business activities. It provides liquid crystal materials for the display industry. It supplies effect pigments in the coatings and painting for several industries – for example the automotive industry benefits from Merck’s activity. But the chemical production at Merck’s also provides solution for manufacturing of cosmetics, drugs and even food.Production plant near BarcelonaSpanish subsidiary of Merck is exceptionally proud of its production plant located in Mollet de Valles, near Barcelona, in Catalonia. The pharmaceutical plant was founded in 1974 and started as a factory packed with state of the art technology and extremely qualified staff to ensure the highest quality of the products. The factory has been put through various innovations during the years, but the constant characteristic of its production process is the attention to detail. The plant is capable of producing 3 billions drug doses annually on total area of 130 thousands square meters. The capability of production in Mollet de Valles is truly impressive. The factory is able to produce up to 10 thousand blister per hour on eight production lines. 3 additional production lines are dedicated to production of sachets with the ability to manufacture up to 60 thousands units per hour. 30 thousands tablets in strips can leave the factory every hour, while 3500 tubes of effervescent tablets is being made on another production line. These numbers have been recognized by many customers. Thanks to its exceptional technological flexibility, the plant is being used by more than 40 companies for production purposes. Said flexibility is the key to the factory success as it’s able to adapt to customer’s need – there’s no project too big, nor project too small to be realized at Mollet de Valles. All kind of medicine can be manufactured by Merck’s plant – tablets, capsules, extemporaneous suspensions, effervescent tablets and liquids in sachets and bottles. Moreover, Mollet de Valles is one of the very few production plants manufacturing a certain group of antibiotics - cephalosporins specifically – in Europe. Given that the production from the factory is being supplied to several countries on various continents, the plants is obliged to have all the necessary permissions and certificates. Indeed, the production process has been approved by Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policy, but also by European authorities (EMEA) and parallel institutions in specific countries in South America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.A recipe for successThe business philosophy of Merck Spain is quite simple indeed. Total mastery of complicated technological processes combined with great flexibility and immaculate reputation bring new clients to the company every year. Merck has been one of the most innovative companies in its sectors literally since centuries. Constant training of the staff and investments in the infrastructure keeps the company at the forefront of the technological race with its competition. Every single of 240 people hired at the factory in Mollet de Valles performs ones job with maximum focus on Customer’s needs. The company puts every effort to maximize the main asset of its production plants – the technological flexibility. It’s what differentiate the company from the other and allows it to keep the prices competitive. The enterprise also implements a dedicated program of continuous improvement called Operational Excellence. The program works on five axes: production, supply, innovation, technology and human resources. It’s a program designed not only to improve the processes, but above all to encourage the employees to develop their skills. With such business model, Merck Spain does not have to fear the crisis. It seems that during these hard times Merck overtakes the competition just by putting maximum effort to what the company does best. The reputation build over the years is incomparable with any of Merck’s competition. During almost 350 years worldwide, and over 85 years in Spain, Merck has become a synonym for reliability, flexibility, transparency, competitive prices and – above all – highest quality possible. Written by Łukasz Światowie
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 Pharmaceutics is the profession that links our desire of being health with the field of chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. The word pharmaceutics derives from the Greek ph-ar-maki which means: who provides a safety. Providing safety and giving access to the best healthcare products to everyone, Spanish pharmaceuticals company, Faes Farma meets their commitments dealing mainly with the manufacture and marketing of pharmaceutical products (prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and skin-care treatments) and raw-materials for pharmaceutical use.The research oriented CompanyFaes Farma, founded in 1933, is a publicly traded Spanish pharmaceutical company, listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange (FAE), with market operations in Spain and Portugal and with presence in more than 60 countries. Faes Farma is a research oriented company that develops, manufactures and markets prescription drugs, OTC products and raw material Over three-fourths of century, Faes Farma, in a cogent, strategic expansion process, has added its current subsidiaries: Iquinosa Farma and Laboratorios Lazlo Internacional, both located in Madrid, Laboratorios Vitoria in Lisbon, and Ingaso, a facility oriented to the animal health, based in Rioja, all create an operational, sound pharmaceuticals group. With near 800 people working in the Iberian Peninsula, the Faes Group has its three Manufacturing Plants, where various business opportunities are analyzed. Faes Farma has been doing a great effort to strengthen its product portfolio and commercial activity through a strategy of acquisitions, licensing and distribution agreements. For the last 20 years, Faes Farma has had a long track record of commercial agreements with corporations such as Sanofi-Aventis, GSK, Lilly, Merck KgaA, Tillotts, Italfármaco, Roche, MSD, etc. At present, Faes Farma is seeking collaborative opportunities in the fields of Bone and Metabolism, GI, Respiratory CNS, CVS and Gynaecology .The Company snapshotThere are three manufacturing facilities (Bilbao 11452 square meters, Rioja 4000 square meters, Lisbon 8572 square meters) working under Good Manufacturing Practice standards, producing a total of 30,5 m units, whereof 8,5 m are for third parties. The company manufactures tablets, capsules, creams, suppositories, ampoules, drops and syrups. 98 people are engaged in R&D. Faes Farma has great experience in the discovery of new chemical entities and developing them as new drugs. Scientists and researchers at different universities, collaborate in developing part of the projects and studies related to new molecules. In this sense, tight collaboration has been established since a long time with the Pharmacology and Analytical Chemistry Departments at the University of the Basque Country. To support its research and development activity, Faes Farma has established collaboration agreements with several universities, technological centers as well as public and private institutions. Main research fields are focused on Allergy, CNS (Alzheimer and depression), Cancer and immunomodulation. The R&D and innovation strategy at FAES FARMA mainly focuses on its active participation in collaborative projects with other pharmaceutical companies and academic research groups which allows FAES FARMA to have a broader field of knowledge and research capabilities to maintain its current qualification of “Excellent” within the PROFARMA framework, together with the most prestigious and competitive Pharma companies .A significant step…The main Business Development and Licensing department mission is to look for products to improve their portfolio, commercialization agreements to maximize sales force, project collaborations, acquisitions (products, business units) and any other business opportunity to make the company grow. Bone and Metabolism, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, and Gastrointestinal are key drug categories for this Spanish Company. They are actively working in spreading out Faes Farma name all over the world, establishing relationships with other companies involved in drug developing (R&D) and product commercialization (prescription, OTC, hospitals and generics). The partner collaborations usually come in the form of licenses (in-licensing), commercialization agreements (comarketing, copromotion, distribution), licenses from our own molecules (out-licensing), codeveloping R&D projects (codevelopment) or acquisitions (products, business units, companies). The company is taking part in Customatized Eye Care (CeyeC) the most ambitious project in Ophthalmology undertaken yet in Spain. CeyeC will undertake R&D on personalised and minimally invase Ophthalmology, aiming at offering solutions and treatments for a series of pathologies and sight disporders that make up 99% of the eye diseases in Spain and world- wide. Faes Farma joined the consortium to transfer its knowledge in other areas of biomedicine to Opthalmology and vision care applying anti-allergy drugs that have been approved for systemic use to ocular formulations. Faes Farma welcomes approaches from potential collaborators offering products or opportunities which match Faes’s strategic focus areas. Faes Farma shows a flexible and fast-moving capability to business deriving simplicity to execute agreements. Everything they do at Faes Farma’s laboratories it is because of constant improving the quality of Customer’s life standard. Taking this fact into consideration, every investment should contribute to the operational success of Faes Farma. For that particular reason the Company has not only the new equipment but also a new technology that ideally combines quality and efficiency. The consistent sound of development brought an Uhlmann Blister Expres Center 500 which has been in operation in Bilbao since 2008. It was a significant and important step toward maximum flexibility and machine availability. The Company has implemented significant changes. They are not only looking for new equipment, but they like to purchase a new technology. Quality and efficiency are the most important arguments for them. The new technology (for example the production lines) can play a key role and would bring them a great opportunity in the packaging enterprise.The team spiritAt Faes Farma, they encourage highly qualified staff and what is more they hire people for their skills, talents, and potential. Employees are a team members who are gently push to refine theirs skills and broaden theirs horizons. As Faes Farma’s capabilities grow, new challenges will evolve and the possibilities are unlimited. They know very well that ultimately, employees want to enjoy what they do, make meaningful contributions, receive fair compensation and have the opportunity to grow, for that reason they are working hard to make that happen. Faes Farmas’s success is grounded in the core values they have stressed since theirs beginnings: an ethic of honesty and service, quality work for Customer satisfaction and what is one of the most important pillars for them: caring about people’s health. They never want to stop growing, learning and improving. Their aspiration is to be the leading Company in Spain and at the same time offering opportunities to advance. Faes Farma´s people are enjoying what they do, they are passionate about making meaningful proyects and invatigations. It’s a lofty goal and one that the Company strive to achieve every day. The loyalty and dedication of its employees can be attributed to the way the Company regards its human capital. A component of their mission statement is:encouraging all crew to learn , develop and to provide the opportunity to reach personal career objectives, in an environment that inspires team spirit, high achievement and continuous improvement. Faes Farma´s employees are encouraged and supported in pursuing their education. They foster an open and friendly environment where we recognize that each member of the team is an integral part of this beautiful mosaic. Written by Katarzyna Olszowska
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 There are various ways to success. Some get right there in a short period of time, while others carefully take step by step reaching the goal. JSC “Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov” was founded quite a while ago, and looking back at its history will help see the steps it took to reach its current position on the market. It is a modern Belarus-based dynamically developing pharmaceutical factory with new technology and high quality production. It is the biggest pharmaceutical enterprise in the Republic of Belarus.The core business of enterprise includes production of injection preparations in ampoules and sterile powder antibiotic vials; tablet production; production of liquid phytochemical preparations and soft medical preparations; production of drugs in hard gelatinous capsules; production of original preparations based on oxidized cellulose.Brief overviewThe company was founded in Borisov, Belarus in 1965 and gradually became the leader on the healthcare products market of Belarus. Originally the company employed 250 people who were engaged in producing infusions, unctures, oils, and pills. But today the numbers are totally different from what they were. We are talking about 10 hectares of production area, over 300 technologies, and over 2300 skilled workers and specialists. The plant offers about 200 healthcare products names of 11 pharmacological groups on a regular basis. Yet, the number keeps growing to reach further heights. Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov produces healthcare products of all forms and kinds in demand nowadays. One of the major activity fields of the plant is the production of not less than 10 import substitution products (generics) per year. Working on the generics production is a labor- and time-consuming process that takes up to 2,5 years of work. But it has been proven by time and experience that these products are the most popular and demanded on the healthcare market - this makes perfect sense since the quality is the same as that of the imported products, but the prices are attractive for the consumers with different financial abilities. The unique combined products with hemostatic and vulnerary properties have a special place in the plant’s products portfolio. They include FERANTSEL tissues, OKSITSELANIM tissues, PROTSELAN tissues, LINKOTSEL uncture, PROTSELAN and others.Improvement is an on-going processThe production is being constantly improved with the usage of progressive technologies. Reconstruction and technical rehabilitation of all production areas are being carried out all the time. The plant has started a full-scale program of rehabilitation and modernization in the 80-s. A new pill section was put into operation in 1985. This section was expanded in 2000 to increase the production capacity by 40%. Today the section produces 210 mn packages per year. Ampoule production was put into operation in 1991, producing 360 mn ampoules. The production of injection antibiotics in extremely clean conditions was launched in 1995 producing 20 mn of bottles per year. And in 1997 the plant produced 1 mn of capsule medicines packages per year. 2003 was the year of reconstruction of the section for the production of unctures in tubes. 2008 and 2009 were the years of implementing a number of technical renovations: coating machine with perforated basket СМ-150 that allowed to increase the range and the volume of the production of pills with enteric coating; laboratory coating machine CM-10 allows to optimize the technological processes of pills covering as well as to produce small series of new products; vacuum station provided the section with vacuum impressively decreasing the power consumption (electricity, water); offset printer Heidelberger allowed to increase the range of printed materials for the main production; compression machine Sejong MRC-45 allowed to increase the range and the volume of the production of pills; sticky label applying machine allowed to improve the outward appearance of the bottles with infusions and to increase the competitive ability of the products; the NORDEN line of packing unctures into tubes and packaging tubes into boxes increases the range and the volume of the manufactured products; Dividela line of packaging the ampoules and bottles into a cardboard packing increases not only the range and the volume of the manufactured products, but also the competitive ability of the products on home and foreign markets. These are just few examples of the new equipment being implemented in the production process. Moreover, there is a quality unit working on the plant providing the control over the quality of the products according to the requirements of the corresponding GMP production practice and ISO standards. This unit consists of two departments. One of them is responsible for providing the quality of the products, and the other one is responsible for the quality control. Quality control department includes analytical and microbiological laboratories where specialists provide control over all stages of production. The laboratories are accredited as technically competitive according to the international standards as well as they are equipped with the newest analytical equipment of the leading world’s brands. The control is being carried out with the help of modern testing methods, such as spectral analysis, highly effective liquid and gas chromatography, finding bacterial endotoxins. Testing equipment is being constantly renewed. These aspects show that the plant administration is interested in offering the products of high quality in every way. The plant’s striving for the best results were also objectively noticed by the society. For example, Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov was a winner at the Best Exporter 2008 contest in oil-refining, chemical, and petrochemical industry category. Other countries opened their markets for Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov products, thus proving the high quality of produced medicines. Big amounts of the plant’s products are being shipped to all countries of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and Baltic countries and the United States of America. Going even further to other foreign markets is one of the plant’s major policies. The target markets are Western and Eastern European countries. The plant has serious chances to succeed in that task since over a third of the products are produced according to the GMP standards. Things like great reputation on the home market, modern technologies usage, and environment-friendly production contribute to the development of cooperation with foreign companies. The only in the CIS kidney machines and blood transfusion systems producing company was founded by Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov together with German concern Fresenius AG in 1992. Another useful cooperation for the plant is with the group of companies Aktavis. The cooperation resulted in the production and promotion on the home market of Fesam, which is a highly effective medicine that stimulates blood circulation in brains. New immune stimulating coneflower-based product ESTIPHAN was developed together with the research institute. And cooperation with Vitebsk State Medical University resulted in the production of bandaging products like KOMBIKSIN and DIOCEPT in the form of tissues saturated with medical substances of dioksidin and trypsin. The clinical tests proved that the bandaging products of the plant are highly effective and speed up the healing process by 2-3 times. The plants products is presented on different kinds of specialized republican and international exhibitions every year.Numbers don’t lieA little bit of statistics will help to see a bigger picture, which in its turn will help have a truer view of the company. For example, the volume of output in actual prices was 65 mn USD. 2010 is expected to have that figure raised to 73 mn USD. As to the export of the plant’s products, 35, 6 mn USD would be the number to describe the amount of the products exported in 2009. The company is in the process of starting the investment project with approximate total cost of 40 mn USD. The construction of the new tablet plant is expected to begin in years 2010-2013 starting the production in 2013 and reaching the project production capacity by 2014. Currently “Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov” JSC is looking for an interested investor to implement this project. Among the certificates of Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov the following can be mentioned: ecological certificate of the correspondence to the requirements of the standards STB ISO 14001-2005, the certificate of the correspondence of the safety, development, production and storage management to the requirements of STB 18001-2005 (OHSAS 18001:1999). Borisovskiy Zavod Medicinskikh Preparatov is an example of a confident walk to success reaching new goals, becoming better along the way and finding new peaks to reach. Written by Kateryna Ferdyn
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