Established in Hungary in 1913, Egis is a traditional Central Eastern European pharmaceutical company with an international footprint across the globe. As one of the four largest historical pharma companies in Hungary, the generic manufacturer now stands as a fully owned subsidiary of the French Servier Group. However, even today the company maintains its roots in Hungary and continues to be a committed member of the local healthcare ecosystem.
We put special emphasis on being an active participant in the local healthcare ecosystem
Egis has gone through a transformational journey over its 110 years of existence to become the company it is today. “Egis’ predecessor, Dr Wander Pharmaceuticals and Nutriments Ltd, was founded by the Hungarian pharmacist Sándor Balla and Swiss Dr Albert Wander. The company was family-led until the end of the World War II in 1948 when it was nationalized and renamed EGYT”, explains István Hodász, the company’s current CEO.
It wasn’t until 1985 that Egis got its current name when five smaller companies were merged into EGYT. Ten years later Egis was listed on the Budapest Stock Exchange after Hungary’s political transition which resulted in Servier acquiring 51 percent of the company’s shares. Finally, Servier went on to acquire the remaining 49 percent of Egis in 2013.
“Keeping the identity of its subsidiaries is a deliberate strategic direction of Sevier,” reveals Hodász. The same goes for the group’s other generic subsidiary in France, Biogaran, which also has a historic position in the market. “It is worth maintaining a well-established legacy, especially in branded generic markets where the image of a company is very important. The value of the Egis brand is very high in the region so it was built into the strategy that we should be able to operate under our/this brand self-sufficiently,” he continues. Russia, CIS, and CEE stand as the company’s key export regions.
Although Egis has grown to be an internationally active company, with 76 percent of sales being generated by exports, the company’s home base still holds a special position in its operations. “We participate in special screening programs that are initiated through the state by corporate sponsorship. Through initiatives like blood donations and other activities, we put special emphasis on being an active participant in the local healthcare ecosystem,” Hodász states. “Egis is the market leader for generic products in the country, and therefore, we have certain responsibilities to the Hungarian patients and healthcare sector,” he proudly affirms.
Read the full interview with István Hodász , CEO of Egis, here
