Investment in Lek, a Sandoz company, is one of the most successful foreign direct investments in Slovenia in 2012

  • The Invest Slovenia FDI Award 2012 recognises Novartis’ investments in the business development of one of the most successful Slovenian companies.
  • With the support of its owner, Lek, a Sandoz company, has become a leading development and one of the leading production centers of Sandoz, the second largest global generic pharmaceutical company.
13. 11. 2013

At today’s ceremony, held in Cankarjev dom, Lek, a Sandoz company, received the Invest Slovenia FDI Award, for its long-term presence in Slovenia. The award is presented by the Public Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Investments and Entrepreneurship. When selecting winners, the judging panel shortlisted only those companies which had more than 10% of foreign capital, employed more than 50 people and had added value exceeding 35,000 EUR per employee, additional criteria considered were also, that a company is not tax-defaulted, as well as its credit rating.

»The award represents an important recognition of our performance and visibility of our owner’s investments in Slovenia. As a part of Novartis, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, we are proving that foreign capital can be useful, if only it is planted into an environment which promotes knowledge and development,« said Patrick Donnelly, a member of the Board of Management at Lek, a Sandoz company, responsible for finance and information technology, upon receiving the award.

Over the last decade, Novartis has invested over 1.3 billion Euros in the development of Sandoz’s sites in Ljubljana, Mengeš, Lendava and Prevalje. Half of these funds were dedicated to research and development projects, and the other half to the expansion and modernization of the production, including new Quality Control Center in Ljubljana, development center, new laboratories and two production plants in Sandoz biopharmaceuticals Mengeš, new Sandoz packaging center in Lendava and many laboratory upgrades at all sites throughout Slovenia.

»We have a very clearly defined role within Novartis’ generic division Sandoz. We have become a leading Sandoz’ development center, specializing in the most technologically demanding areas. Novartis appreciates Slovenian knowledge and experience as shown by further new investments in development and expansion of production capacities in Slovenia,« added Patrick Donnelly.

Lek, a Sandoz company, is, with more than 2,700 employees, one of the largest employers in Slovenia. In the form of taxes and contributions it contributes to the Slovenian budget annually more than 3.5-times the amount that the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia dedicates annually for Lek’s medicines.

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Lek, a Sandoz company, is one of key pillars of the second-largest generic pharmaceutical company globally. Its role within Sandoz is to act as: a leading global development center for products and technologies; a global manufacturing center for active pharmaceutical ingredients and medicines; a competence center for the development of vertically integrated products; a Sandoz competence center in the field of development and manufacturing of biosimilar products; and, a supply center for the markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), South East Europe (SEE) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and it is responsible for sales on the Slovenian market. For further information please visit http://www.lek.si/eng/.

Sandoz, the generic pharmaceuticals division of Novartis, is a global leader in the rapidly growing generics industry. Sandoz offers a broad range of about 1, 100 high-quality, affordable products that are no longer protected by patents. With nearly 26,000 employees in approximately 140 countries, Sandoz holds the #1 position globally in biosimilars, injectables, ophthalmics and dermatology as well as a strong global #5 position in inhalables. Key product groups include antibiotics, treatments for central nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal medicines, cardiovascular treatments, and hormone therapies. Sandoz develops, produces, and markets these medicines along with pharmaceutical and biotechnological active substances and anti-infectives. In addition to strong organic growth in recent years, Sandoz has made a series of acquisitions including Lek (Slovenia), Sabex (Canada), Hexal (Germany), Eon Labs (US), EBEWE Pharma (Austria), Oriel Therapeutics (US), and Fougera Pharmaceuticals (US). In 2012, Sandoz posted sales of USD 8.7 billion. For more information, please visit www.sandoz.com.

Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines and diagnostic tools, over-the-counter and animal health products. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2012, the Group achieved net sales of USD 56.7 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 9.3 billion (USD 9.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 128,000 full-time-equivalent associates and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.novartis.com.

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This press release contains statements and conclusions based on projections of Lek’s future business operations. These estimates are derived from the best information currently available. In case these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results could prove different from those projected.

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For additional information contact:
Katarina Klemenc
Corporate Communications
Lek Pharmaceuticals d. d.
Phone: +386 1 580 22 43
Fax: +386 1 580 24 32
katarina.klemenc@sandoz.com