Gilead Sciences signs local production agreement with Pharmactive İlaç
Gilead Sciences will manufacture its most innovative medicines in Turkey in line with the state's strategic domestic production priorities. Turkey will become Gilead Sciences' third manufacturing hub following Canada and Ireland, where the company currently produces the relevant medicines.
By signing a cooperation agreement with Pharmactive İlaç for domestic production, Gilead Sciences Turkey will reach a position where it produces more than 70% of its total revenue in Turkey.
The localization agreement was signed by Şebnem Girgin, General Director of Gilead Sciences Turkey, and Haluk Sancak, Chairman of the Board of Pharmactive İlaç, with the participation of Ministry of Health officials.
Şebnem Girgin, General Director of Gilead Sciences Turkey, stated: "One of the important items in the 100-Day Action Plan announced by Mr. President was local pharmaceutical production. Three years ago, we incorporated this into our priorities at Gilead Sciences and began working on it.
We are pleased to implement this investment today." Haluk Sancak, Chairman of the Board of Pharmactive İlaç, added: "We are all proud to be one of the few facilities capable of producing medicines to international standards as a result of our investments."
Gilead Sciences, a science company ranked first globally in the 2019 innovation index for the pharmaceutical sector1, is entering into a manufacturing cooperation with Pharmactive İlaç to produce its most innovative and life-saving medicines in Turkey in line with the state's strategic domestic production priorities.
The agreement on local production was signed by Şebnem Girgin, General Director of Gilead Sciences Turkey, and Haluk Sancak, Chairman of the Board of Pharmactive İlaç, with the participation of Ministry of Health officials.
Under the project scope, life-saving strategic medicines in the fields of Hepatitis and HIV, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as diseases where access to treatment is most critical, will henceforth be produced in Turkey in cooperation with Pharmactive İlaç.
The project is expected to begin with a Hepatitis B medicine whose annual global sales are anticipated to reach USD 1 billion, and continue with production of the latest discovered innovative HIV medicine, whose annual global sales are expected to reach USD 8-10 billion levels.
IMPLEMENTING THE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION INVESTMENT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THREE YEARS
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Şebnem Girgin, General Director of Gilead Sciences Turkey, said: "One of the important items in the 100-Day Action Plan announced by Mr. President was domestic pharmaceutical production. Three years ago, we incorporated this into our policies at Gilead Sciences and began working on it.
We are proud and pleased to implement this investment today." Signing the manufacturing and investment cooperation agreement with Pharmactive İlaç in line with the Ministry of Health's strategic localization goals, Şebnem Girgin noted that this signature will also pave the way for production of other innovative medicines currently being developed by Gilead in Turkey. Girgin provided the following information regarding the production and investment project:
"Under the project scope; technology transfer activities necessary for production in Turkey of innovative Hepatitis B treatments patented until 2021 and HIV treatments patented until 2033 in Gilead's portfolio are beginning.
With this project, Turkey will become the third country in the world producing the aforementioned patented and innovative Gilead medicines, following Canada and Ireland where production is already taking place, and Gilead Sciences Turkey will reach a position where it produces more than 70% of its total revenue domestically.
It also appears possible within the scope of the project to prevent imports totalling USD 250 million over the next four years. The other value of our domestic production project in Turkey lies in the export potential these patented medicines with high global sales expectations will have in the future."
WE ARE PIONEERING THE TRANSFORMATION OF FATAL DISEASES INTO MANAGEABLE CONDITIONS
Emphasizing that Gilead is a science company founded 32 years ago to find cures for AIDS and other incurable infectious diseases, Şebnem Girgin said:
"Our vision at Gilead is to eradicate life-threatening diseases from the earth by developing the best solutions. In this context, Gilead has pioneered efforts to transform diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, hematology, oncology, and systemic fungal infections from fatal to manageable conditions.
Gilead, one of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies, allocates approximately USD 5 billion annually in R&D resources for its global research, provides USD 400 million annually in donations worldwide to eliminate treatment access barriers and social inequality, and provides HIV treatment support to 12 million people in countries with limited resources.
Gilead began operations in Turkey in 2007 and with over 80 employees, provides innovative treatments for life-threatening diseases.
In the past five years in Turkey, it has provided USD 6 million in R&D support and through its Ideas That Save Lives scientific and social project support program, has provided USD 700,000 in grants to 46 projects.
We are especially honored that as a result of the agreement to be signed here today, medicines will be produced in our country."
Noting that they have made saving lives their focus, Şebnem Girgin expressed pride in contributing to controlling many infectious diseases through the most innovative treatments developed in their fields with ongoing patent periods. Girgin continued:
"Hepatitis B is an area of expertise where we have worked for many years at Gilead and developed effective treatments. With our investment decision signed today, the first medicine to be produced in our country will be the latest molecule we have developed for Hepatitis B.
HIV/AIDS is another area where we continue our innovative medicine development work without interruption and is being effectively managed within our country's healthcare system.
The National AIDS Commission, established in 1996, and the National HIV/AIDS Program currently in development, underscore the Ministry's emphasis on these diseases and the work it conducts to international standards for their control.
In this context, the second Gilead medicine to be produced in our country will be a medicine containing the latest discovered molecule in the HIV field. Beyond all this,
in the Hepatitis C field where we are pioneering elimination efforts globally, we closely follow all work conducted by the Ministry to reach WHO 2030 targets and want it to be known that we are ready to fulfill all duties incumbent upon us."
Haluk Sancak, Chairman of the Board of Pharmactive İlaç, noted that when establishing Pharmactive İlaç within Saya Group in 2011, they planned to have high production capacity and competence, stating: "Our facility's 330 million unit capacity is a significant level in our country and throughout Europe.
As Pharmactive, we employ 860 people. In eight years, we developed 90 equivalent molecules, all in our own laboratories. We are currently one of the top five facilities producing the most in our country. We currently produce half of our output for multinational companies."
Saying that thanks to the pharmaceutical production culture and motivation Turkey has built to date, the country is capable of producing any medicine, Haluk Sancak noted that their work in biopharmaceutical production continues. Sancak continued:
"We sincerely believe Turkey will become a manufacturing hub. As the Pharmactive family, we will always continue to do our part to make our country a hub for producing medicines for the world.
We had our first meeting with Gilead Sciences, a science company that has achieved some of the most remarkable successes in recent times in molecule discovery, two years ago.
After the Gilead officials from the USA visited our facility, they provided feedback saying, 'We did not know such a facility could exist in Turkey before coming.' They stated they view Pharmactive as one of the facilities that will meet Gilead's global needs.
This feedback shows that the path forward for our cooperation is very clear. Our cooperation with Gilead will also provide significant contributions to our country's economy."
Haluk Sancak said: "I sincerely believe this cooperation between Pharmactive and Gilead Sciences will pave the way for other foreign investments in the sector.
The signed cooperation agreement is also a message of confidence given to foreign investors, and for this reason it is quite important for the country's economy. We are a strong team dedicated to working for our country's sustained health. We are always ready to do even more than what is required of us."
