Intro
Julphar, one of the largest generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in the MENA region, has become the predominant choice of professionals and patients. Jerome Carle, its CFO and Acting General Manager, gives readers an insight into establishing a strong brand identity where benchmarks are shifting every day.
Recognised as one of the strongest home-grown brands with an international presence, Julphar was established under the guidance of the late Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, former Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and began its journey with a dedicated facility specialising in five products only. Three decades later, the pharmaceutical powerhouse now operates 16 internationally certified manufacturing facilities globally, produces over a million packs of medicines daily and holds more than 4,000 product registration certificates. Itdistributes to over 40 countries with 13 facilities based in the UAE, and cover production areas including tablets, syrups, and suspensions. Julphar also launched manufacturing facilities in Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia as part of its ongoing international expansion strategy, which has been successful due to its extensive range of products. “We have always maintained a diverse product portfolio that targets major therapeutic segments. It includes adult and paediatric primary care, gastro and pain management, cardio-diabetes, wound care, women and consumer care, and biotechnology. In 2012, Julphar further extended its portfolio with the launch of a $150 million manufacturing facility dedicated entirely to producing raw material required for insulin formulation,” said Jerome Carle, CFO and Acting General Manager, Julphar. Julphar Diabetes is one of the largest facilities to produce insulin in the world, and the only plant of its kind in the Middle East. “We have dedicated a Research and Development team called the Julphar Product Development Unit that comprises a team of passionate scientists from many different countries. Highly qualified and innovative, they are consistently improving and inventing new products, which gives us the competitive edge in terms of quality. Julphar invests heavily into research and development, as it paves our pathway into the future of pharmaceuticals,” he added. For Carle, it was an organic step to join the Julphar family, after gaining 20 years of pharmaceutical experience through international assignments in corporate, regional and local affiliates across three continents. “I’d spent 17 years with Sanofi, working in six different countries as Finance Controller in Eastern Europe, Senior Internal Auditor in Paris and Chief Finance Officer in Africa and South East Asia. What drew me towards this industry is the mission to provide affordable and high quality medicines. At Julphar, we have a responsibility towards the community to deliver innovative and technologically advanced products to improve the quality of life for patients. Our mission is very special, as we strive to reach growth and sustainability by operating with excellence in our operations,” said Carle.
Strengthening ties with key markets
In line with an ambition to expand, Julphar started building its pharmaceutical facility in Saudi Arabia in 2014. The plant produces oral pharmaceutical formulations for the Saudi market, which comply with international CGMP standards. The fully automated plant has incorporated sophisticated processes and control systems, which consist of the raw material transfer through closed systems, recipe management with minimal operator intervention, automated cleaning to avoid the cross contamination, in-process controls systems to ensure the consistent product quality and higher standard utilities systems. “We have had a presence in Saudi for many years, but recently, opened a new factory as a result of a partnership with one of the major distributors of healthcare products, Cigalah Group. Julphar and Cigalah have been working together for many years and established a strong partnership to develop Julphar Saudi and introduce a new facility and production plant for our patients based in Saudi Arabia. Our goal has been to strengthen our relationship with the Saudi authorities by supporting the Government’s vision to attract more investment, especially in the pharma industry. By enabling production in the country, Saudi patients will have access to more affordable and high quality treatments in the private and tender market,”he explained. Julphar’s 75,000-square-metre plant project is the first Emirati-Saudi investment partnershipin the pharmaceutical industry and will have the capacity to manufacture up to one billion tablets, 300 million capsules and 30 million bottles of syrups and suspensions a year. “In addition, we have a broad partnership and are working with the top leading pharmaceutical companies and healthcare foundations, such as MSD, Dexcom, Hetero, Piramal, Emirates Foundation and American College of Cardiology Foundation, to name a few. These partnerships fuel innovation and empower growth, which is important to Julphar as we strive to set new standards in the industry by constantly upgrading our quality and facilities. Therefore, our partnerships have been very successful, as they have not been limited geographically. Our different types of partnerships, include co-marketing, joint venture and products licensing. We work with companies from the U.S., Asia and Europe, and are very proud of these partnerships. At Julphar, we believe these partnerships are beneficial for the patients in the MENA region and in making difference in the market by introducing innovations,” Carle said.
Strong value system
Julphar’s success is a result of a strong foundation built on transparency and integrity, and a dedicated team of professionals. “Knowledge is vital for Julphar; therefore, our corporate culture is not only based on respect, values, teamwork, customer focus and caring, but also learning and development. We leverage people’s potential and capabilities, promote and encourage professional and personal learning, while sharing knowledge and best practices. As a regional player, and one of the leading companies in this market, we are working on new innovations to enrich our portfolio in diabetes, general medicines and consumer care. Expo 2020 is going to be an important step towards further growing the local economy and propel medical tourism. We believe that it will one of the driving factors for the growth of the pharmaceutical market in the UAE,” he concludes.
At Julphar, we have a responsibility towards the community to deliver innovative and technologically advanced products to improve the quality of life for patients.
