Imexpharm part of emerging trend of innovation in pharmaceuticals

August 28, 2024 | 09:00

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Imexpharm Pharmaceutical JSC (IMP) is investing heavily in high-quality pharmaceutical production technology to meet international standards.

Since its early days as a small pharmaceutical factory in Dong Thap province, the leaders of Imexpharm made a strategic decision to send talented staff to train in Europe.

These talents helped pave a new path for Imexpharm to pioneer technology, enabling the company to rise and eventually climb to the top of the domestic pharmaceutical sector.

Imexpharm part of emerging trend of innovation in pharmaceuticals

The first memorable milestone came in 1997, when Imexpharm invested in a GMP-ASEAN non-beta lactam oral medication factory with consultancy from Dr. Hartmut Haulth, a European expert on quality management systems and technology from the Biochemie Group of Austria (now known as Sandoz).

This solidified Imexpharm’s brand, and the company was chosen by the World Health Organization as a model factory for an introductory film.

During 1999-2000, the company continued its momentum by constructing a GMP-ASEAN beta-lactam oral medication factory and successfully initiating franchise production in cooperation with the multinational Biochemie Group.

Moving forward to 2014, the company started investing in an EU-GMP factory and earned its certification for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2016. This certification provided a significant competitive edge for Imexpharm.

Currently, according to the Drug Administration of Vietnam, only about 10 per cent of domestic pharmaceutical enterprises meet the EU-GMP standards or the Japan-GMP equivalent, creating a premise for competition in both domestic and foreign markets.

Through continuous investment in production lines and a steadfast commitment to high-quality drug manufacturing, Imexpharm has the largest EU-GMP factory clusters in Vietnam, boasting three EU-GMP factory clusters and 11 EU-GMP lines.

Early investment in production technology and stringent drug quality assurance has propelled Imexpharm to the top position in Vietnam’s antibiotics market.

The company focuses on researching and producing antibiotics by using purified raw materials with fermentation technology called Enzymatic. This technology avoids using solvents and chemicals in the production process but instead utilises BP, EP, and USP standard raw materials sourced from the Europe, the United States, and Japan. These materials are rigorously monitored to control hazardous impurities such as nitrosamine (carcinogenic compounds), residual solvents, and heavy metals.

The company currently holds more than 333 licensed products for commercial use in Vietnam. In 2023, Imexpharm secured 11 additional registration numbers for six products in Europe, including complex products such as Ampicillin/Sulbactam. This brought the total number of European Marketing Authorisations to 28 for 11 product types.

People’s Doctor and pharmacist Tran Thi Dao, general director of Imexpharm, said, "Over the past 47 years, Imexpharm has seized every opportunity to invest in advanced technology and infrastructure. By pioneering in the construction of factories with international standards, focusing on training and developing human resources, and rapidly diversifying the product portfolio, Imexpharm has realised its commitments to investors, partners, employees, customers, and the community. This sustainable development strategy has imprinted the green lotus, Imexpharm's symbol, on the pharmaceutical industry map domestically and abroad."

The investment in high technology and innovative pharmaceuticals of companies like Imexpharm aligns with the National Strategy for the Development of the Vietnamese Pharmaceutical Industry through 2030. With a vision to 2045, the ambition is to turn Vietnam into a regional pharmaceutical production centre.

At present, drug product groups for respiratory, digestion, cardiovascular and diabetes treatment are forecast to witness annual growth rates of 11.6 per cent to 13.2 per cent until 2027. According to BMI Research's prediction, the Vietnamese pharmaceutical market will reach $16.1 billion by 2026.

With this vision, Imexpharm is planning to expand its non-antibiotic product portfolio and is set to build a new IMP5 factory in Quang Khanh Industrial Park, Dong Thap. The new product line includes drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular, diabetes, coughs, and digestive diseases, aiming for both the domestic and export markets.

Advantages in technology allow Imexpharm to produce high-quality pharmaceuticals that can compete with the same products made by foreign companies. In the context of the new generation of free trade agreements that Vietnam has signed, pharmaceutical enterprises will have the opportunity to expand export markets, develop distribution networks, and access more capital, technology, and high-quality human resources for product lines that meet higher standards.

These strategies lay a solid foundation for the company's vision to 2030, aiming to triple revenue growth. This is an important step in consolidating Imexpharm's position in the global market, while simultaneously meeting the increasing demand for high-quality treatment solutions in Vietnam and the region, said Imexpharm's leaders.