Apsen strengthens new business area and seeks exportations
Gazeta Mercantil - 07/15/2008
Research, partnership and human resources. That seems to be the ideal formula found by Apsen Farmacêutica to support the growth of 20% a year registered in the last decade and that placed it in the eighth place among the national laboratories. In 2007 the company ended the year with an income of US$ 115 million and expects to keep the growth average for this year. For such purpose, it will also keep nearly 5% of the income destined to investments in research and development, area that may grant it the endorsement of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for an allocation of funds of R$ 10 million (US$ 6.25 million), from the R$ 17 million (US$ 10.63 million) required for the project of expansion of its Research Center of the company in 2008. Regarding the partnerships, the company sets another important pillar of its strategy, either as a representative of international laboratories, by means of licensings, or as universities' partners to develop new products. In fact, it were the partnerships like these that allowed the company to bring medicines such as the Uro-Vaxom, a last generation preventive for return of urinary infections or the powerful muscle relaxant Miosan. From the work jointly developed with the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) in 2002 there was the development of Postec, an ointment for topical use that can prevent the need of surgery for phimosis in most of the cases, and which became the first official patent of Apsen. The ointment has even become the one of the flagships of the company and, in 2006, it started being exported to Latin America through the partnership entered into by the laboratory and Uruguayan Mega Pharma, a branch of the Argentine group Roemmers, one of the four largest in the sector in Latin America. According to Apsen President, Renato Spallicci, the company seeks, in the international market, medicines whose patents have already expired, but which other laboratories have had no interest in bringing to Brazil. It is exactly with the new businesses that Apsen hopes to gain another R$ 190 million (US$ 18.8 million) in income in the next five years, especially with exportations. The last pillar, though not less important, regards people. Considered one of the best companies to work at, Apsen gathers examples of success as to how to involve the 700 employees in the conquest of the market.