Actavis was the first to launch a new generic pharmaceutical – Granisetron tablets – on the demanding EU markets. The launch was timed to coincide with the expiry date of the originator’s patent in Germany last month. Granisetron is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Actavis Ltd in Bulebel, Malta, has undergone a total transformation in the last few years. Three years ago the company in Malta started supplying the markets in Western Europe and now almost all of its revenues comes from that market. To achieve this, the company has invested heavily in training its employees, in state-of-the-art facilities and in research and development.
The Maltese company has developed and submitted seven new product dossiers to medicines authorities in Europe to date. Annually, Actavis Ltd is now completing around six new product dossiers, an investment of millions of Malta liri. These new products will be launched on the market in the next few years.
This new generic pharmaceutical is the second product that has been fully developed, manufactured and launched from Malta to the European market. This is an important milestone for Actavis in Malta as Steinthor Palsson, managing director of Actavis Ltd. explains.
“Our highly skilled scientists and operators have proved once again that Actavis in Malta is capable of meeting the strict quality and highly demanding European markets in developing and manufacturing generic pharmaceuticals. Our customers want to be in the market on day one of patent expiry. In order to achieve this, everything must be timed carefully, from the development, registration, manufacturing, to the time the goods leave Malta. I am pleased to say that Actavis in Malta has a workforce which has proved to be capable and up to the task. Our clients are already placing new orders, due to an increased demand and as a direct effect of being on time with the launch.” He stressed: “Due to our success, the number of employees is increasing and it is important for our future growth and of the industry that we will have access to skilled people. The limited number of science graduates in our field in Malta is of concern and it is essential that is solved, preferably at national level.”
A generic pharmaceutical is essentially similar to an originator pharmaceutical product. It contains the same active substance and is interchangeable with the originator product upon patent expiry. Generic medicines are increasingly used in many EU countries as cost-effective alternatives to the higher-priced originator pharmaceuticals.
Actavis Limited is a subsidiary of the Actavis Group. Actavis is one of the five leading generic pharmaceutical companies in the world, with 10,000 employees in 32 countries. The Maltese operation boasts a workforce of 350 highly skilled employees.