(AGI) - Florence, Sept. 10 – The week of celebrations for the 120th anniversary of Molteni Farmaceutici opens today in Florence. The century-old Florentine company, founded in 1892, celebrates the anniversary with a ceremony in Palazzo Vecchio. An institutional headquarters that bears witness to how much, by focusing on research and internationalization, Molteni has been able to develop - and, today, carry on - a growth path that has seen it transform itself from a small pharmacy in the heart of Florence to a European leader in pain and addiction therapy, present in over 25 countries. A fundamental result of the long and constant commitment to R&D was achieved today by Molteni Therapeutics, a research company of the Group which, through a pioneering approach to photodynamic therapy in the antimicrobial field, just this month filed with the Regulatory Authorities the application for authorization of its first product, as an adjuvant for the local treatment of lesions and ulcers of the diabetic foot. The history of the company begins at the end of the 19th century, in Leone Molteni's pharmacy, in Piazza della Signoria. From the first sterile vials for hypodermic use in Italy we arrive at the official supply of the Italian Army. After ups and downs, from the years of reconstruction to the dramatic flood of '66, in 1972 Giovanni Seghi took over the company from the Alitti family and directed its relaunch. Since the 1990s, Molteni has been addressing exclusively specialist fields and has launched the internationalization process, laying the foundations for today's Molteni, a European company specialized in pain and addiction therapy. Projected into an increasingly global dimension, the company has nonetheless remained deeply linked to the social and cultural fabric of the territory in which it was born. With a turnover of over 60 million euros and an average growth of 16% in the last two years, Molteni today represents one of the centers of excellence of Italian production, with a complete portfolio of products with a high technological content. Its Scandicci plant, among the most modern and equipped in Europe for the production of opioid drugs, covers over 10,000 square meters, with a high production capacity which, for vials alone, exceeds 20 million units a year. Present with its products in over 25 countries, the company has 4 offices: in Florence, Milan, Krakow and Monheim am Rhein (Germany), for a total of about 250 employees. "Of these, 10% is used in Research & Development, a sector in which we invest 12% of turnover", said Giovanni Seghi, Chairman of the Board of Molteni Farmaceutici, speaking during the opening ceremony of the celebrations. "A figure – added Seghi – which bears witness to our main distinctive trait: the commitment to innovation, the key factor which has allowed us to grow and be competitive even in difficult times such as the current ones. Faithful to a solid family tradition and projected towards the future, we have reached this important milestone thanks to the dedication and professionalism of a team of competent and motivated people, who represent our most important resource in tackling new and ambitious objectives". The specific interest in the field of pain therapy is also the basis of an important dissemination project, in support of the correct communication of the pain symptom among cancer patients, their families and medical-health personnel. The Alfredo, Aurelio and Leonida Alitti Foundation – created by the will of dr. Leonida Alitti, the last representative of the family who led the company from the early 1900s to the 1970s – has developed a relief kit. "It is an information booklet, a rule for measuring the sensation do
