Our challenge is called life

Interview with Dr. Antonyi Totev, General Manager for Bulgaria of Aventis InterContinental Pharmaceutics

Dr. Totev, Aventis Group is among the most powerful pharmaceutical companies in the world. What are the priorities in its activities?
Aventis Intercontinental was created on January 1, 2000, and was a result of the merging of two big companies of century-long tradition in the production of medicines. They have been through the whole history, through all stages of the advancement of the pharmaceutical industry and medicine. And both of them have significant contribution in the development of many mass medicines. That is why with its establishment Aventis Group became one of the leading world companies. It now occupies the fifth place in the world in market share.

The aim of such mega-companies is the united financial and managerial resources to provide opportunities for faster development of new medicines. This is a very expensive process. The road from the invention of a medicine to its introduction on the market costs about 1 billion Euro.

The mission of Aventis is to develop and introduce new and efficient medicines – for socially significant diseases for which a sufficiently good cure has not been invented yet or such diseases that affect a big part of the population. Society expects ever better cure opportunities for the latter. Aventis has several spheres of engagement. In the first place, the development of medicines for curing diabetes. Today people speak of a diabetes epidemic, the illness of modern society. The second sphere, in which the company is very strongly engaged, is the development of medicines for cancer diseases. One of the greatest achievements in the portfolio of Aventis that we are extremely proud of is the medical product Taxotere. It is the most powerful and effective means for curing mammary carcinoma. It cures effectively a large group of cancer diseases. Remarkable are the medicines for cardio-vascular diseases. Such is Tritace – one of the outstanding products for treatment of hypertonia and prophylactics of cardio-vascular complications. Las but not leas we should mention Clexane – the world’s most popular medicine for prophylaxis of trombo-embolic complications.

Other spheres are the developments concerning diseases that are less frequent but lead to heavy disabilities like the rheumatoid arthritis. Aventis offers one of the standards for treatment of this disorder – the medicine Arava. The antibiotics – for hospital and out-hospital treatment of different infectious diseases – occupy an important place in the company’s portfolio.

These are the major medical spheres of Aventis’ efforts.

How and when did Aventis come to Bulgaria and what is its mission here?
On January 1, 2000, the date of its establishment. This became possible because the two companies of the merger had their representations in Bulgaria, they had traditions and presence among the Bulgarian medical circles and on the Bulgarian market.

The mission of Aventis in Bulgaria is to sell medicines. The aim is to more fully meet the medical needs of the patients. Another basic mission is spreading the culture and the high managerial standards of Aventis Group. Part of our work is to be useful to the patients and doctors through the medicines we provide but also through the socially committed programmes and charity activities, to contribute within our capacities for a better economic and social climate. Our target are the people and their health and our motto is: “Our Challenge is Called Life”.