On receiving the ACCI award, ELPEN's Chairman Mr. Dimitrios Pentafragas stated: "ELPEN is a labor of the heart and of life, which I have been sustaining in every way for nearly 50 years because my desire is to care and to be of service to the People. This life's work is spearheaded by research and innovation in manufacturing novel Greek drugs. We remain at the service of our country's Health, and are striving to spread our wings to reach international markets thus, materializing a life's vision."
With the opportunity of this great honor, ELPEN's Vice President Mr. Theodore Tryfon stated in an interview to the Greek statetelevision channel: "I believe that during aperiod of severe financial crisis, it is very important for all of us to seek the country's new productive model in order for certain things to be highlighted. A distinction of this kind is particularly significant, as it establishes the fact that there are Greek production plants investing in Research. ELPEN manufactures innovative, patented products, which are sold to Germany, creating new employment opportunities."
This award is presented to businesses that have set up successful projects in research, innovation, and technological development. ELPEN has been at the forefront of the Greek Pharmaceutical Industry for the past 50 years, a priority sector in every developed economy worldwide. For 18 years, ELPEN maintains the largest, privately-held research laboratory in Greece, the Experimental & Research Center, laying the foundations for novel, groundbreaking drugs. This distinction is without doubt a moral compensation for ELPEN's long-standing, high-quality scientific work.
ELPEN's Experimental & Research Center is one of the largest laboratories for applied biomedical research in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. At a time which is characterized by a failure to connect the Greek Pharmaceutical Industry to Research, the Experimental & Research Center has been supporting more than 200 scientific programs (100 of them as Research Scholarships), and has carried out more than 650 Greek and international training projects, 80% of which include hands-on training. As a model for successful and creative public and private partnerships, it generates scientific intelligence (e.g. more than 180 publications in international journals), and also creates the circumstances to develop pioneering, effective pharmaceutical products.
While resources allocated for the Health sector are constantly shrinking, ELPEN remains true to its values and continues to invest in Research. This is why ELPEN is a leader in the development of new pharmaceutical substances, pharmaceutical forms, and methods of drug administration. An important result of this endeavor is the Elpenhaler®, an original dry powder inhaler (DPI) authorized in 27 European countries, and patented in more than 90.
ELPEN is acknowledged as the only Greek pharmaceutical company investing on such a large scale in R&D. The company has already focused its research programs towards biotechnology products. In addition, it places great emphasis on the advanced development of generics, in terms of both raw materials and bioequivalence to the reference product.
Driven by the Hippocratian principle "To help or to do no harm" with its ongoing generous support of Greek scientists, and relying on its modern facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, and its efficient human resources, the Greek pharmaceutical company ELPEN remains committed to investing in research, innovation and development.