Lasting in the pharmaceutical industry requires mastering change
Given Galenika’s 80th jubilee year, we talked to the general manager about the cycles of transformation and the why and how behind becoming and staying relevant in highly demanding and complex industries such as pharmaceuticals. Ricardo Vian Marques was appointed as the General Manager not long after the privatisation of Galenika by the Brazilian NC Group. The privatisation brought a whole new perspective for the Serbian pharma giant in 2018, as well as the know-how from the biggest pharmaceutical company in all of Brazil. As our interlocutor tells us, Galenika is celebrating 80 years of perseverance, transformation and success.
With your experience in the industry, what would you say is the reason for Galenika’s perseverance?
To become and remain a leader in a competitive and highly demanding industry such as pharmaceutical, you have to innovate, invest, and transform strategically all the time. The moment you may think, „This is it“, is when you would be finished. So, the answer is constantly being processed. If you do not change, you cannot expect to grow. It is as simple as that. We keep reading and hearing about the high pace of changes in today`s world. People and their lives, health priorities, preferences, and needs change. To succeed means to think in advance, and Galenika is foreseeing the needs and preferences of the patients and consumers today and those in the future. To innovate is to transform. In our industry, this means well in advance because the approvals and processes are specific and require time and long-term planning.
What were the company`s main achievements in 2024?
This was quite an important year for Galenika, as we achieved considerable regional expansion and portfolio growth. We demonstrated perseverance and overcame external challenges that were out of our control.
With double-digit growth in 2024, Galenika continues strengthening its position in the pharmaceutical industry in Serbia and the region. The biggest achievement this year is that we continued the process of regional expansion of Galenika and began sales in our new EU – Slovakia and Czechia markets.
In 2024, we launched 50 RX and OTC products in Serbia, and we significantly expanded into the region and EU markets by launching 230 products. This is quite a number, and it reminds us how far we have come.
Galenika’s prescription drugs or Rx segment is powerful and represents almost two-thirds (65%) of its overall portfolio. In the OTC segment, we have demonstrated growth by offering consumers contemporary solutions to their modern needs. Dermocosmetics and dietary supplements are among the areas we recognise to have great potential internationally.
To become and remain a leader in a competitive and highly demanding industry such as pharmaceutical, you have to innovate, invest, and transform strategically all the time
Galenika has invested considerable effort in portfolio expansion in the past years. What were the milestones, and why were they so important for the company?
It is certainly our focal point for two main reasons. The expansion of Galenika’s product portfolio undoubtedly strengthens the company’s market position. Most importantly, it offers consumers and patients a wide range of modern and efficient pharmaceutical products of the highest quality that contribute to health.
These new contracts increase our capacities and competitiveness and expand our footprint in EU countries. They strategically build up Galenika’s portfolio with modern, effective, and high-quality pharmaceutical products that benefit consumers, pharmacies, and doctors, which they appreciate.
Galenika acquired Lifemedic in Serbia in 2023 and then began an exclusive distribution partnership with the Italian manufacturer Pharmalife Research in paediatrics and dietary supplements. In 2024, we not only fully integrated the new company, team, and portfolio into Galenika but also increased sales.
Last year, we continued the strategic expansion of our portfolio through a partnership and exclusive contract with Cantabria Labs – a Spanish manufacturer of premium dermatological brands present in 85 markets worldwide. This way, Galenika took over the exclusive distribution of Cantabria Labs brands for the markets of Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, securing not only portfolio enrichment but also highly sought-after products and leaders in their categories throughout Europe. The results achieved in the first months following this launch were excellent, which proves the business decision and market assessment.
Most recently, Galenika signed another international contract with the Austrian company Croma Pharma, one of the leading European manufacturers of premium products based on hyaluronic acid, an essential ingredient for skin care. We will launch the distribution of seven new products from the aesthetic medicine segment for the markets of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Interestingly, Galenika has recently received an Award for Contribution to Health and Prevention during the conference The World in 2025. What does this Award stand for?
You are right. Thanks for bringing it up. We are incredibly proud of this recognition. Galenika has launched a number of significant awareness-raising projects around the topic of Health and Prevention. I shall name a few: the annual Galenika Pink October campaign, which we have every year, as well as donations in the fight against breast cancer, then also our youth-oriented project and the Hello Twenties platform that has received a multitude of awards and recognitions. All these initiatives show how important prevention is to Galenika’s corporate agenda. So, by recognising health topics and prevention issues and mapping our possible contribution, we create projects and invest in them to make a change.
Our work is about curing and increasing the quality of life, and knowledge plays an important role in it. With every award such as this one or even a question about Prevention, I am reminded how important our work is and how many people it affects, bringing change for the better.
With double-digit growth in 2024, Galenika continues strengthening its position in the pharmaceutical industry in Serbia and the region
What will be the focus in 2025?
Being a leader in the pharmaceutical industry requires expertise and ongoing investments in technology, digitisation, and further development of production capacities while expanding business presence in international markets. For years, ongoing investments have been a part of our short-term and long-term plans.
After initially opening EU offices in Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia, Galenika opened new markets – Portugal, Czechia and Slovakia- last year. In 2025, we plan for dynamic growth in new markets with Galenika’s RX portfolio and the OTC. We are also preparing the company to launch peptides, which will be an enormous milestone for the company, the market, our NC Group, and the whole industry. It is possibly the biggest news in the region’s industry, and I look forward to presenting it soon.
Becoming Pharmaceutical Giant
Galenika was founded in 1945 as a result of the growing pharmaceutical workshop. The efforts of the initial team made Galenika stand out, and the company quickly became an important player in the pharmaceutical industry. Growing the portfolio and establishment of the Research and Development Institute contributed to its progress and further transformation. Decades of growth have made the Zemun-based company a true pharmaceutical giant that is well-known and preferred in the former Yugoslavia. There were many significant milestones in the long history of Galenika. It was among the first companies to start penicillin production in the late 40s. Its products have been on multiple continents since the 50ies when the Export Department was established. Over time, Galenika expanded production facilities through strategic investments. It has changed ownership and went through different phases of development.
Galenika’s long history led it to the Brazilian NC Group, which marked a new era for the company in late 2017, together with the strategic partnership with EMS—the largest pharmaceutical company in Latin America.
Galenika produces generic drugs, dietary supplements, medical products, and products for everyday use. Its tradition and high quality are still appreciated by pharmaceutical product consumers. Company products are leaders in many product categories. The tradition continues through long-lasting Galenika brands that are a part of every household and new products that answer consumers’ contemporary needs.
Galenika is constantly working to expand its product portfolio to improve health and quality of life for the benefit of consumers. For 80 years, it has been devoted to people and dedicated to health by manufacturing efficient products and medicines of the highest quality, both very relevant and often life-saving. It is also a responsible company that takes the mission of being devoted to people seriously – from employees, patients and consumers, professional public – doctors and pharmacists, to partners, the neighbourhood, environment and general public to which Galenika dedicates its prevention topics and awareness campaigns. Focusing on the future and quality of life makes Galenika a modern and flexible company determined to last long beyond these first 80 years.