Pharmaceuticals Report – Tecnoquimicas Profile

Colombia – Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare – 04 Dec 2008 Indigenous Manufacturers SWOT Analysis Strengths Tecnoquímicas is a leading domes tic pharmaceutical company in terms of s ales with a large production network of eight manufacturing s ites The company has repres entative agreements with m a n y foreign firms , including Argentina’s Gador, Pharmacia, Recordati and As tellas Weaknesses Its divers e offering — including pet foods , confectionery and pers onal care items — may reduce focus and funds available for developing pharmaceuticals The company is vulnerable to s trengthened bioequivalence rules and competition from foreign generics players Opportunities Tecnoquímicas is in the mids t of implementing a 10year inves tment plan Threats Tecnoquímicas repres ents over 25 foreign firms , but the US FTA may eas e direct market entry for foreign companies Entry of foreign — es pecially As ian — low-cos t producers threatens the firm’s off-patent product lines Overview Tecnoquímicas was founded in Bogotá in 1934, as a family bus ines s focus ing on repres enting national and international companies in Colombia. The company, which is one of the larges t pharmaceuticals firms by s ales in Colombia, claims to manufacture 87% of the products it markets.

In 2005, the company reported a 20% jump in s ales to COP60bn (US$246mn) and had es timated s ales of US$300mn in 2006 and US$350mn in 2007. Tecnoquímicas has three production plants in Cali, one of which manufactures oral s olid dos age forms and hous es a R&D facility The Jamundí facility produces s olids and veterinary s teriles , as . well as hous ing a QC laboratory and a raw material warehous e. The Yumbo facility manufactures creams and ointments for cos metics and topical products . T h e company operates s ix dis tribution centres in Colombia. It has opened a creams and efferves cent products plant in Villa Rica for regional unit Tecnofar TQ. Since the 1990s , Tecnoquímicas has expanded internationally, focus ing on regional markets . In 1993, it acquired the MK and McK brands from McKes s on Corporation, and began to produce and s ell generics in the Andean region. In July 2008, the company reportedly s igned a deal with the IFC, the World Bank’s lending arm, to s ell 10% of its s hares in return for US$25mn to fund future expans ion in Central and South America with a particular focus on the Andean region.

Product Portfolio Bes ides pharmaceuticals , the company is active in the pers onal care, infant nutrition, confectionery, hous ehold products , veterinary and telecommunications s egments . Tecnoquímicas ‘ large pharmaceutical offering includes generic pres cription drugs , pers onal care products and animal health products . Starting with an agreement with Bayer for Alka-Seltzer in 1941, the company now repres ents 24 companies in Colombia, including Argentina’s Gador, Italy’s Recordati and Japan’s As tellas . In 1986, Tecnoquímicas acquired Merck & Co’s Colombian pharmaceuticals plant. Tecnoquímicas repres ented the US drug major in the country until 1996. Tecnoquímicas is a leader in the Colombian hos pital drugs s egment and the ins titutional market. T h e company’s generic anti-infectives portfolio runs to 37 products . The company fields 28 cardiovas cular generics , 13 central nervous s ys tem (CNS) drugs , 19 mus culo-s keletal products , 13 alimentary/metabolis m preparations and nine res piratory pres entations . Contacts Tecnoquím icas C alle 23 7-39 C ali Tel: +57 (2) 882 5555 www.tecnoquim icas.com .co Leading Drug Products Flucanazole Lipicare (atorvastatin) Sim vastatin C rem a No. 4 Enalapril Glim epiride Fluoxetine Tecnoquímicas

Recent Activity Tecnoquímicas has announced plans to inves t s ome COP25bn (US$10mn) in 2006, principally on expanding and upgrading its production facilities and offices . The Jamundí facility — which produces oral s olid forms for human us e — and the Villa Rica unit will attract a major s hare of the new s pending. Senior company s ources als o comment that regional expans ion will remain a priority The company has grown its s ales in Ecuador by s ome 25% s ince 2002, and claims to be . the market leader in terms of units s old in the country In 2007, the company s aid it aimed to . increas e s ales there to US$20mn by year-end. The firm entered Peru in early 2006. Tecnoquímicas has vigorous ly protes ted an FTA with the US, principally oppos ing new IP provis ions . The company markets a number of copies of patented pharmaceuticals , which has brought it into conflict with R&D-bas ed multinationals in the pas t. Nevertheles s , it has s trong potential in the field of generics , although the entry of low-cos t As ian producers could intens ify competitive pres s ures in the coming years . This material is protected by international copyright laws , and us e of this is s ubject to our Terms & Conditions . © 2012 Bus ines s Monitor International Ltd