Sicor Biotech / Teva Expanded Plant aim - to Increase Lithuanian Biopharmacy Export

Country’s leading biopharmaceutical company Sicor Biotech/ Teva has finished implementing one of the biggest projects of pharmaceutical industry in Lithuania - the expansion of its modern Biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant. The project attracted foreign investment to the country and it will enable the Company to double its pharmaceuticals production and increase Lithuania’s high technology export.

“The project, financed by the European Union and Teva, was implemented rapidly – it took merely a year to finish all the work. Now that the expansion of the modern plant is finalized, it will not take long for Lithuanian biopharmaceutical products used for the treatment of patients with oncologic diseases to reach new international markets and enable us to increase significantly  our export rates,” – says Vladas Bumelis, General Manager of Sicor Biotech/ Teva. “ The importance of the site expansion is not only due to the  potential  increase in export of goods produced in Lithuania, but also will improve the working conditions" he has added.

 
Minister of Economy Dainius Kreivys, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius and GM Vladas Bumelis,  before opening ceremony

“This project is another step towards attaining our goal to become the innovations and high technology centre of the Baltic and Nordic region. Lithuania is focused towards creating the high technology services based economy, and thus we hope success stories like this will encourage foreign investors to set up new business projects in our country,” – states the Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius.

According to the Prime Minister, the project can be regarded as a successful case of attraction of foreign investment as well as efficient allocation of EU funds. About a third of the expansion costs were covered by EU Structural Funds, the rest funded by Teva. The Company estimates that approximately in 2 years time investment will return to the country in the form of state taxes.


Opening ceremony of expanded module; Minister of Economy Dainius Kreivys, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, GM Vladas Bumelis and Ram Petter, VP Global Biosimilars at Teva

Prof. V. A. Bumelis claims that the decision to expand the capacity of the plant was prompted by increased demand for Sicor biotech products. “Our products have already been registered and launched across multiple markets worldwide, increasing our production. We will not only be able to keep up with the rocketing demand in current markets, but will also be able to conquer new ones.

“Sicor Biotech/ Teva are proud to have highly qualified team of specialists here in Lithuania, capable to develop and manufactured a biopharmaceutical product in compliance with the highest standards of the European market. Due to its proven success record, Sicor Biotech plays an important role in Teva Biosimilar group and will obviously be considered in the future for further development programs and site expansions as required" - says Ram Petter, Ph.D., Vice President of Teva. 

Sicor Biotech/ Teva Baltics GM Vladas Bumelis explaining about new equipment in expanded facility for Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius and Vice Chairmen of Lithuanian Parliament Česlovas Juršėnas

The expansion of the plant was carried out in a particularly modern manner – using a modular principle. Special building modules with integrated technological equipment had been constructed and manufactured abroad, inspected by Sicor Biotech/ Teva specialists and placed on prepared foundations, followed by the installation of supporting systems later on. In this way the project was completed in a surprisingly short time – the current production process was interrupted only for six weeks.

More about Sicor Biotech / Teva

Sicor Biotech/ Teva is a leading biotechnological pharmacy company that has been working in the field of high technologies for the past 20 years. In 2004 the company became a part of Teva group, one of the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in the world and the number one generic company in Europe. Sicor Biotech is the only company in Eastern and Central Europe that develops and produces modern recombinant biopharmaceutical products. The company carries out the research in biochemistry, molecular biology, modern gene engineering, biosynthesis and biopharmacy.