Beacon’s swift response to the pandemic
was particularly remarkable given that when
the coronavirus crisis emerged the company
was in the process of finalizing plans to
inaugurate its $30 million new facility
dedicated exclusively to the manufacture of
cephalosporins.
Cephalosporins are a large group of
antibiotics that kill a wide range of bacteria
in a similar manner to penicillin (namely,
by binding and blocking the activity of the
enzymes largely responsible for developing
an important component of the bacterial
cell wall). They are typically used to treat
infections of the bone, ear, skin, and upper
respiratory urinary tracts.
Located on a three-acre site in the Bhaluka
upazila district of Mymensingh, 75 miles
north of the capital Dhaka, the plant has
been built and designed in compliance with
the Current Good Manufacturing Practice
regulations promulgated by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration. By adhering to
these internationally accepted standards and
regulations, Beacon intends to use the plant
as a springboard for its export operations
and initially expects the additional output to
increase annual revenues by more than $10
million.
The new dedicated cephalosporin plant
has the capacity to manufacture all forms of
cephalosporin, including types administered
via injection, oral tablet, capsule, and dry
syrup. “We spent five years making sure that
this new sophisticated facility conformed to
the highest international standards,” says
Ebadul Karim, Beacon Pharmaceuticals
managing director. “It’s a complex facility,
so health and safety protocols dictated
that we needed segregation to avoid
cross-contamination with our generic drug
manufacturing operations.” And to reduce
its effect on the surrounding environment
the facility is equipped with its own effluent
treatment plant. Besides the cephalosporin
plant, Beacon also built a world class facility
dedicated to the manufacture of the latest
Penam antibiotics (such as meropenem and
imipenem).
Beacon Pharmaceuticals looks set to be
a global pharmaceutical pioneer for many
years to come.W
ithin months of the COVID-19
pandemic sweeping across
the world, Beacon had begun
bringing relief to thousands of sufferers
at home and abroad through the launch
and pro bono distribution of its Remdesivir
(Pandovir) and Favipiravir (Favipira) drugs.
Beacon was the first pharmaceutical
company in Bangladesh to manufacture
Favipiravir.
Beacon’s rapid response to the COVID-19
pandemic was typical of the far-sightedness
and flexibility that have been its hallmark
since 2006, when the company was founded
with the objective of building a global entity
that could help meet the world’s most urgent
health needs. From inception, Beacon has
been dedicated to developing and delivering
innovative and life-saving medicines to
combat cancer, hepatitis, cardiovascular
disease, and other life-threatening diseases.
Today the company is a leading developer
and producer of life-saving oncological,
biotech and general products. Beacon
manufactures more than 250 generic drugs
and 68 oncology products and brings an
average of 15 to 20 new high-tech products
to market each year. Thanks to the strength
of its R&D team and its routine investment
in investigation and exploration, Beacon has
been responsible for the introduction of a
good number of new generic drugs that are
now globally distributed.
Over the years the company has regularly
expanded its product range and broken
new ground. It was the first pharmaceutical
company in Bangladesh to manufacture
drugs using lyophilization (freeze drying);
the first in the country to manufacture life-
saving hepatitis products; and the first
generic production company to introduce
immunotherapy (a treatment that helps
the body’s immune system fight cancer).
It has also pioneered Bangladesh’s use
of monoclonal antibodies (the laboratory-
produced molecules engineered to serveas substitute antibodies that can restore,
enhance, modify, or mimic the immune
system’s attack on cancer cells).
As a result, Beacon has earned a reputation
as a pharmaceutical pioneer whose efforts
have improved the quality of life across the
globe. Beacon is today the leading provider
of oncological drugs and treatments in
Nepal, Kenya, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and
has registered 115 products in 14 different
countries. To date, patients in 135 countries
across the globe have benefitted from
Beacon’s life-saving medications.
Operationally too Beacon has blazed a trail
for the Bangladeshi pharmaceutical sector
by including an e-commerce facility and
Global Patient Support Program on its new
website (www.beaconpharma.com.bd). The
access to affordable drugs that the program
extended to hepatitis C sufferers drew the
attention of the international media. Beacon
further demonstrated its marketing prowess
by being the only generic company, globally,
to launch its own international conference,
the Beacon International Cancer Summit
(BICS). The aim of the BICS is to bring
together cancer care professionals to improve
quality by exchanging the latest information
and innovative ideas in cancer treatments.
Along the way, the company has shown
that it is possible to be commercially
successful while at the same time alleviating
suffering. Listed on both the Dhaka and
Chittagong stock exchanges, Beacon
employs more than 4,200 people and has
averaged 25% growth in sales since 2017.BEACON PHARMACEUTICALS–
Life Saving Solutions
These have been busy years for Beacon Pharmaceuticals, Bangladesh’s
leading oncology specialists and one of the country’s fastest-growing
pharmaceutical companies.WE SPENT
FIVE YEARS
MAKING SURE
THAT THIS NEW
SOPHISTICATED
FACILITY
CONFORMED TO
THE HIGHEST
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARDS,”time.com/specialsectionsCONTENT FROM THE INTELLIGENT INVESTOR