Distinguishing itself from other enterprises, Medochemie appears to prioritize its export endeavors over domestic market distribution. Furthermore, Medochemie is qualified and willing to be a CDMO partner of other multinational pharmaceutical corporations.

However, it’s worth noting that Medochemie is currently planning to expand its manufacturing facility in the near future. Does this strategic move signify a shifting focus towards the domestic market? To gain deeper insights into Medochemie’s position within the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry, let us explore further in the context of SEN Pharma.

Overview

Founded in 1976 by Dr. Andreas Pittas in Limassol, Cyprus, Medochemie primarily operated within the healthcare and pharmaceutical production sectors. In its initial stages, the company had just one doctor, eight employees, and three machines responsible for producing various products, including capsules, pills, and packaging.

Over the years, Medochemie has undergone significant expansion, emerging as a multinational corporation boasting 13 factories in Cyprus, Netherlands and Vietnam.

Research and development activities

According to data from the website of Drug Administration of Vietnam (24/06/2023), Medochemie currently has 129 drug registration numbers, of which only about 12 drugs are manufactured in Vietnam.. A special feature compared to other companies is that Medochemie seems to focus more on export activities than distribution in the domestic market. Thanks to its strength in building and operating factories meeting EU standards, Medochemie is ready to become a CDMO partner of multinational pharmaceutical corporations with the goal of exporting drugs to foreign countries.

In Vietnam’s pharmaceutical landscape, home to more than 250 drug manufacturing enterprises, stiff competition prevails due to pricing pressures. However, based on the strength of labor resources, and production costs… local companies have the potential to contemplate expansion and compete effectively on a global scale. Although the establishment of GMP-EU-compliant factories necessitates substantial commitment in terms of time and initial investment, in the long run, such facilities have the potential to yield substantial returns, akin to “golden egg-laying chickens.”

Medochemie’s primary product categories encompass antibiotics, non-beta medications, and biologicals. The company not only manufactures and distributes these products but also collaborates as a CDMO partner with numerous companies across diverse regions, engaging in activities ranging from research and development to analytical methods, product packaging, and supply.

In 2022, Viatris company (USA) signed a technology transfer agreement with Medochemie to produce drug products to treat non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Vietnam.

Currently, Medochemie is building 3 new factories in accordance with EU-GMP standards in Binh Duong specifically to produce liquid, semi-solid and solid drugs. Previously, the company had 3 factories meeting EU-GMP:

Non-beta lactam: capacity of 2 billion tablets and 500 million capsules per year.
Cephalosporin injection antibiotics: capacity of 55 million vials per year.
Liquid formulation and topical non-sterile Non-beta lactam.

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