From Amoxillin pills to EU GMP factory chain

Từ viên thuốc Amoxillin đến chuỗi nhà máy EU GMP- Ảnh 1.

Despite tremendous efforts, the changing times forced many pharmaceutical companies and factories to close. Faced with the risk of closure, the Imexpharm team persevered in maintaining production while simultaneously seeking ways to proactively secure markets for their products.

And the anecdote "The Birth of the First Amoxicillin Tablets" also originates from this turbulent period. At that time, in Vietnam, enterprises had not yet produced Amoxicillin – an antibiotic belonging to the penicillin group used to treat infections. Whenever Amoxicillin was mentioned, people in the country immediately thought of importing it from France. Wanting to find a different path, People's Physician, Pharmacist Tran Thi Dao – then a young and enthusiastic pharmacist and General Director of Imexpharm – boldly considered importing raw materials to produce Amoxicillin.

She personally visited wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City to observe and learn about trade practices in order to find outlets for her products. Everything started almost from scratch, but it was accompanied by the tireless efforts of countless people. After thorough research, she decided to import one kilogram of raw materials to produce the first batch of Amoxicillin and successfully conducted clinical trials. From then on, thanks to the unwavering determination of this young pharmacist, Imexpharm was able to produce Amoxicillin.

Giai đoạn đóng gói tại nhà máy Imexpharm — Packaging stage at Imexpharm factory

In 1994, Imexpharm experienced a major setback: a factory fire. Given the economic climate during the period of economic reform, this was a significant shock for a young company. However, thanks to the unwavering leadership of its captain, the unity of all staff, and the support from the government and partners, Imexpharm overcame the difficulties and continued to develop.

Recalling those difficult times, Ms. Dao shared emotionally:

Từ viên thuốc Amoxillin đến chuỗi nhà máy EU GMP- Ảnh 3.

In 1997, Imexpharm made a significant leap forward by investing in a GMP-ASEAN certified oral non-betalactam production facility with the consulting support of Dr. Hartmut Haulth, a leading European expert in quality management systems and technology from the Austrian Biochemie group (now Sandoz). In 1999-2000, the company continued to build a GMP-ASEAN certified oral beta-lactam production facility and successfully pursued a franchise production partnership with the multinational Biochemie group.

Từ viên thuốc Amoxillin đến chuỗi nhà máy EU GMP- Ảnh 4.

Next came the development phase from 2001 to the present, marked by the decision to privatize the company, becoming a public company, creating remarkable growth for Imexpharm.

Amidst the capital difficulties faced by businesses during the period of 2001-2006, Imexpharm rose to become one of the first pharmaceutical companies in the equitized corporation and successfully increased its charter capital, generating a surplus of 100 billion VND in 2006. Also in 2006, Imexpharm officially listed its shares on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol IMP.

Not content with being a pioneer in owning a GMP-ASEAN certified factory, during the period of 2007-2011, the company focused all its resources on prioritizing the introduction of European standards into Vietnam. A milestone marking this strategy was the operation of a Cephalosporin factory using European technology in Binh Duong with a total investment of 113 billion VND. Simultaneously, the company built a Penicillin factory for injectable drugs with an investment of 50 billion VND. Following this success, Imexpharm invested in the Binh Duong Betalactam High-Tech Factory Complex (IMP3) and became one of the first pharmaceutical companies to simultaneously have three EU-GMP certified production lines. A notable achievement during this period was Imexpharm's decision not to borrow from banks, despite the volatile economic conditions in Vietnam at the time.

Từ viên thuốc Amoxillin đến chuỗi nhà máy EU GMP- Ảnh 5. — Employees working at Imexpharm's EU-GMP certified factory.

From 2017 to 2023, Imexpharm's growth period was identified as a period of acceleration, with the high-tech IMP4 factory becoming operational and officially recognized as meeting EU-GMP standards. This brought the total number of EU-GMP-certified production lines to 11, the highest in Vietnam. This was the first time the Asian Development Bank (ADB) granted Imexpharm an $8 million loan to upgrade its factories to EU-GMP standards, acknowledging the company's strong and reliable development.

Sharing her thoughts on this memorable milestone, People's Physician and Pharmacist Tran Thi Dao said: "Over the past 46 years, Imexpharm has taken advantage of every opportunity to invest in advanced technology and infrastructure. By pioneering the construction of manufacturing plants according to international standards; focusing on training and developing human resources; and rapidly diversifying its product portfolio…, Imexpharm has realized its commitments to investors, partners, employees, customers, and the community, leaving its mark as the symbol of the green lotus bud on the map of the pharmaceutical industry both domestically and internationally."

Ông Huỳnh Văn Nhung, Phó TGĐ khối Chất Lượng đại diện Imexpharm nhận giải thưởng Ngôi Sao Thuốc Việt -1 — Mr. Huynh Van Nhung, Deputy General Director of Quality Management, represented Imexpharm in receiving the Vietnamese Pharmaceutical Star Award - 1.

Từ viên thuốc Amoxillin đến chuỗi nhà máy EU GMP- Ảnh 7.

It can be said that 2023 was a fruitful year for Imexpharm, a testament to its long-term, systematic investment in quality. The company set a record for business growth, achieving revenue of VND 2,113 billion, a 26% increase compared to the industry average of 8%. Currently, Imexpharm continues to be the leading company in Vietnam with the most EU-GMP certified factories, comprising 3 factory complexes and 11 production lines.

"I am very happy that Imexpharm recently had the honor of receiving the second 'Vietnamese Pharmaceutical Star' award from the Ministry of Health and the Drug Administration. This award affirms Imexpharm's leading position in product quality and its role in supplying good, effective, and reasonably priced medicines to meet the healthcare and treatment needs of the people and medical facilities nationwide," Ms. Dao emotionally shared.

Amidst challenging business conditions and changing disease patterns, antibiotics remain a dominant product line in the pharmaceutical market, accounting for 12% of total market value and projected to continue growing at a rate of 9.2% until 2027 (according to IQVIA reports). This encourages Imexpharm to continuously maximize the utilization of antibiotic products manufactured in EU-GMP-certified factories.