Pharmaceutical Company News from Turkey

PharmAsia News brings you a look at Turkey’s drug market by capturing recent moves by international and domestic firms.

ISTANBUL – Spain’s Exeltis Pharma has moved to buy one of Turkey’s oldest drug companies and Alvimedica has applied to the U.S. FDA for approval of its cardiovascular stent in the past month. KocakFarma launched a new plant and Merck Serono SA plans to increase R&D investment in Turkey, while Deva Holding faces industrial strife at its new plant.

Spain’s Exeltis Aims To Buy One Of Turkey’s Oldest Pharmaceutical Companies

Embil Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., a Turkish pharmaceutical company established 94 years ago, is being acquired by the Spanish pharmaceutical firm Exeltis Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of .The Turkish Board of Competition was notified about the transaction in late September. A generic company with a production facility in the Tekirdag province of Turkey, Embil specializes in gynecology (particularly vaginal infections), anorectic diseases, epilepsy and pain management drugs. The company has a significant export capacity. Exeltis specializes on women health and respiratory diseases. The companies have not disclosed any figures for the acquisition. The deal is expected to be finalized after the official go ahead by the Board of Competition. Fifteen Turkish pharmaceutical companies were bought in the past few years, with the latest the acquisition of Mustafa Nevzat Pharmaceuticals by Amgen Inc. in 2012 for $700 million. (Click here for more - Turkish language).

Alvimedica Nears FDA Approval For Cardiovascular Stent

Alvimedica, Turkey’s only manufacturer of cardiovascular stents and catheters, said its cardiovascular stent product is in the final stages of obtaining U.S. FDA approval. In an interview to the magazine Aksiyon, Alvimedica’s CEO Cem Bozkurt said the firm is one of the 10 leading producers of stents in the world and that they intend to reach the top five firms in invasive cardiology. He complained about competition from Chinese stents in the Turkish market, underlining the cost of around $87, compared to Alvimedica products that carry price tags between $260 and $391. He said that after FDA approval Alvimedica would concentrate on the U.S. market. The company has a production facility in Catalca, Turkey, established in 2007 with an investment of $40 million and three R&D centers in Turkey, Italy and the Netherlands. (Click here for more - Turkish language).

Kocak Breaks Ground For Biotechnology Production Plant

Kocak Farma, one of the leading local firms in Turkey, staged a groundbreaking ceremony for its new biotechnology production facility in Cerkezkoy, Turkey, on Sept. 24. The investment will reach over TL 1.1 billion ($478 million). Turkey’s Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Isik and the CEO of Kocak Pharma Hakan Kocak marked the occasion and reminded an audience that they have already opened an R&D center where about 70 scientists and experts work. “In this center we have been working on analogue insulin and monoclonal antibodies, as well as bacterial and viral vaccines with the method of recombinant DNA technology,” Isik said. “We collaborate with universities and international centers, which are specialized in these fields. We will turn the results of our R&D projects and pilot productions into biotechnological new products at our new production facility. (Click here for more - Turkish language).

Merck Serono Declares Turkey Strategic For R&D Investment

Elcin Ergun, former regional head of Merck Serono Turkey, Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa and was appointed as head of Global Commercial Operations at the start of 2014, said the country is a key focus for increased R & D investments. “These investments will be in clinical research and we will position Turkey as a regional hub in this field,” she said in a press interview on Sept. 22. “Turkey has transformed its health care industry significantly in recent years and it is a very important market for us.” Merck Serono globally invests about EU 1.5 billion for R&D every year. (Click here for more - Turkish language)

Industrial Trouble At Deva Pharmaceutical’s New Plant

Deva Holding, majority owned by East Pharma, faces industrial problems at its new facility that cost TL 15 million ($6.5 million) and covers more than 1,700 square meters. It was opened June 13 to produce inhaler products and drugs for asthma and COPD patients. The company also targets exports. However, about 30 employees have been laid off since June because of union activities. It is claimed that Deva refused to pay overtime. (Click here for more - Turkish language).