Can you introduce Sun Pharma and explain its main activities and offering in Italy?

Sun Pharma is one of the world’s most important players in the pharmaceutical market, with a turnover exceeding US$ 5 billion. We engage over 30,000 employees and have developed a wide and consolidated presence in over 150 countries. Our group is no longer just a generics company, because in recent years, it has been differentiating its offer and presence in the health sector.

Today, Sun Pharma Italy records a turnover of over €40 million, achieved through the company’s business units: Retail, Hospital, Brand and CMO. Our company is facing the changes in Italian healthcare with a strong commitment to innovation and overcoming the old subdivisions of business to propose ourselves as a global reference for the health of citizens and for the development of health systems. Our goal is therefore to be protagonists of the health system both with equivalent drugs and branded products, as well as in advanced research and distribution. All this, of course, while providing the highest level of quality and safety.

Can you comment on Sun Pharma’s role in the response to Covid-19?

During the last 18 months, we have been able to offer products for intensive care to all operators, hospitals and health organizations, which were extremely important in the pandemic phase. These included products in the field of antibiotics and anti-infectives for systemic use. We are also present across the Italian territory and in the hospital market – being very visible and appreciated by all operators.

Can you provide an overview of Sun Pharma’s product portfolio and therapies of focus? How is your offering evolving and what are the main pillars of growth in Italy?

In addition to the traditional presence in the field of equivalents (with over 300 products), Sun Pharma has a massive presence in the neoplastic field. Precisely in this highly innovative segment, the company is among the world leaders for standard dose solutions. The definition refers to the standard preparation of drug doses in infusion bags ("dose banding"). The advantages of the Standard Dose system are various and respond to the major problems that arise in daily practice in the field of chemotherapy production within the hospitals: reduction of drug waste, quality tests, risk of composition errors, time waiting for treatment, planning of the workflow both in the pharmacy and in the wards. In this highly innovative sector, we are present in Italy with an excellent and avant-garde positioning: following this method, our corporate goal especially in Italy is to become the reference partner for those who believe that innovation must penetrate every aspect of the care system.

Sun Pharma invests 6% of annual revenues in R&D. Can you provide some examples of recent innovations and product launches that prove the importance of value-added generics?

We strongly believe in innovation, not only of the product, but also of the global health systems since our company makes development its vocation. It is no coincidence that last year the FDA approved the first biological drug developed by Sun Pharma for patients with psoriasis.

How are perceptions around the use of simple and specialty generics evolving in Italy and how do you expect the importance of generics to change over time?

Italy’s government and health market is very particular due to its federal structure; it is centrally governed, but strong powers are delegated to individual regions. In this sense, the penetration of generics has been slow and differentiated, with higher percentages in the Center-North of the nation. Luckily, today the "generic culture" has taken root both among citizens and pharmacists. Until a few years ago, there was a certain distrust in the clinical world among GP and specialists, but this is being overcome. I believe that we are moving towards a positioning of the generic which reflects the situation of the other major European countries.