HÀ NỘI — MEDLAC PHARMA ITALY, a joint venture between Vietnamese and Italian pharmacy experts, has celebrated its 15th anniversary in a ceremony at the company’s premises in Hoà Lạc Hi-Tech Park on the western outskirts of Hà Nội.

The ceremony on Thursday was attended by Marco della Seta, the Italian ambassador to Việt Nam, Tạ Mạnh Hùng, Deputy Head of the Drug Administration of Việt Nam, under the Ministry of Health, and other leaders of agencies and the company's partners.

Addressing the ceremony, Alfonso Sciotti, CEO, MEDLAC PHARMA ITALY, said: “I’m very proud and happy to recognise my great love for Việt Nam, the country which is for me a second homeland. All members of my family share this love with me.”

Long-term staff are honoured at the 15th anniversary ceremony on Thursday. — VNS Photo Lê Hương

“MEDLAC is a quite special milestone for me,” he said. “My Italian colleagues and I intended to establish here in Việt Nam a pharmaceutical factory of the same level and with EU GMP standards. This was influenced by my daily interactions with our representatives and our distributors, who are my great friends. We have great confidence in their professionalism and their commitment to building a prominent company in Việt Nam."

He then shared that through MEDLAC, Italian experts introduced the pharmaceutical technology, equipment, and know-how from Italy.

“We are so pleased to see our intention warmly supported by our partners and executed by the talented Vietnamese workforce, who possess strong professional capability and are always eager to learn and share.”

Sciotti told Việt Nam News that they are now planning a second phase of development for their project, having been allocated land by the Hòa Lạc Industrial Park.

“We want to expand the factory to better manage the growth of the company’s activities,” he said. “Therefore, in the next three or four years, we will witness a new part of the investment flourishing on the land we have available.”

Marco della Seta, the Italian ambassador to Việt Nam, recognised that this Italian company’s contribution to the development of healthcare in Việt Nam is an excellent example.

“Firstly, it’s a long-standing investment in Việt Nam,” he said. “It started 15 years ago, so we've been here much longer than many other investors. Secondly, it invests in a crucial sector – healthcare. And thirdly, we introduced specific technology for drugs that are injected, necessitating specialised technology. But most importantly, it's a joint venture, initiated by Italians and Vietnamese. While this speaks of the past, I am hopeful for its future growth.”

Staff members at work in a lab. — Photo courtesy of MEDLAC PHARMA ITALY

The company is well-established in the Việt Nam market, distributing 48 products in hospitals and the private market. They also export products from Việt Nam to nine countries.

Tạ Mạnh Hùng, Deputy Head of the Drug Administration of Việt Nam, mentioned that the country currently has 228 factories producing pharmaceutical drugs that meet GMP-WHO standards.

“MEDLAC PHARMA ITALY is one of 33 factories that utilise high-tech solutions for injection production lines, strictly adhering to GMP standards,” he said.

“The Drug Administration highly values the company as it continued production during the pandemic, supplying the market with high-quality products. This helped stabilise the medicine market for preventing and treating diseases for society while ensuring job stability for its staff,” he added.

At the same ceremony, the leaders praised over 20 staff members who have been working with the company for over 10 years. —VNS