Not just savings: AssoGenerici member companies open their doors to show politicians, journalists and local administrators the quality of their production and the socio-economic impact of a sector that employs 10,000 people in 60 companies in Italy
(VI), 11 September 2015 – The main Italian production centers of equivalent drugs open their doors to the press, politicians and local administrators. The initiative started today from ZETA Farmaceutici in Sandrigo (VI). # Open Factories, launched by AssoGenerici to make the general public and decision-makers aware of the productive, employment and economic value of Italian companies active in the generic drug segment, already highlighted by the study on the sector prepared by Nomisma and presented on 5 May.
# Open Factories it is also an opportunity to promote correct information on the quality standards of equivalent medicines, many of which are produced in Italy by the same companies that also synthesize them on behalf of large "branded" drug companies, following the most stringent requirements of the "Good Manufacturing Practices" (GMP).
At today's appointment in ZETA Pharmaceuticals Also present were Senator Enrico Cappelletti, the honorable Federico Ginato, deputy, and the honorable Flavio Zanonato, MEP.
Zeta Farmaceutici employs a total of 244 people and in 2014 recorded a turnover of 84 million Euros, with production almost equally divided between manufacturing for third parties and the synthesis of its own products.
Founded as a pharmaceutical workshop after World War II, the company is one of the founding members of Assogenerici and boasts recognized specific expertise in the field of pharmacopoeia, which still makes it a partner of various Italian and international groups for Research & Development activities.
“'Open factories' is above all an operation of transparency, which goes hand in hand with the progressive affirmation of the equivalent drug in Italy – said Enrique Häusermann, President of AssoGenerici. “It must be remembered – continued Häusermann – that generic drugs today represent 19.5% of all packs of medicines dispensed in Italy, equal to 10.7% of pharmaceutical expenditure. It is therefore important that c
he citizens and decision-makers can ascertain that this considerable share of medicines used every day in Italy are often also produced in our country, according to the highest quality standards, employing personnel almost always residing in the areas where the production centers are located".
"The positive effects of the diffusion of equivalent drugs are not only the 230 million a year in savings for the NHS - continued Häusermann -, but also 10,000 guaranteed jobs for sector workers in as many as 60 companies operating throughout the country . A real entrepreneurial, productive and employment sprint, which adds to the increase in the number of citizens whose health needs are met, thanks to the generic drug”. "In fact, the equivalents - concluded Häusermann - due to their efficacy, safety and quality guaranteed by a production of excellence, as in the case of Zeta Farmaceutici, are the main allies of therapeutic adherence and access to treatments, especially primary ones ”.
ASSOGENERICI - Press release – 09/09/2015
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