Lek, which is part of Novartis, once again receives the highest national recognition for innovative achievements

Patients with transplanted organs must receive appropriate medication for the rest of their lives so that the body does not reject the new organ. The exact dosage of the medicine is extremely important, so the experts at Lek developed the first two-milligram capsule with the active substance tacrolimus with prolonged release on the market, which together with four generic strengths enables simpler and more accurate dosing of the drug. »The development and production of generic medicines requires a lot of innovation, especially in the design and development of new processes and methods. We had to introduce quite a few innovations in this medicine with tacrolimus, from the introduction of a robust work process without exposing operators to the drug substance, to new analytical methods and complex packaging to ensure the appropriate quality of the medicine. I am proud that the entire process, from development to production and packaging of the medicine, takes place in Slovenia, whereby we have combined the knowledge and experience of many colleagues from various fields,« Tanja Vilfan, Head Development Projects at Development center Slovenia, describes the demanding process. Through bioequivalence studies involving approximately 650 volunteers, Lek showed that their new generic medicine is comparable to the innovator's medicine.

The associates of Novartis in Slovenia are aware that in the pharmaceutical industry, innovations that bring breakthrough medicines and products, and those that increase patients’ access to modern medicines, are of increasing importance. “The ability to achieve new milestones in innovation is the result of Novartis’ trust in our knowledge and experience, which is also reflected in many new investments in development and production in Slovenia. Together with other units around the world, we are on an evolving journey to become the world’s leading pharmaceutical company in the field of advanced technologies and digitization. Caring for patients and enabling modern, safe and effective treatment remains at the very core of our work. This was also the main guiding principle in the development of a new generic medicine for the many patients with organ transplants around the world,” said Robert Ljoljo, President of the Board of Management of Lek and Novartis Country President Slovenia.

Since 2002, when the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia began awarding the highest national awards for innovative achievements, Lek experts have received more than 10 golden awards.