Tarik Čatić, Marketing Director at Bosnalijek: Health is our greatest treasure

The largest Bosnian pharmaceutical company Bosnalijek d.d. has so far based its business exclusively on the production of medicines. However, the ambitious and rejuvenated management, which secured a total sales revenue of a record 120 million KM in 2014, does not want to stop there. Thus, in 2015, part of the development and production capacities were directed towards a new type of product, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

- Bosnalijek does not only want to provide medicine to those who are sick, but also supplementary therapy to prevent certain conditions or illnesses, and to maintain existing health conditions - says Tarik Čatić, Director of Corporate Marketing at Bosnalijek.

Bosnalijek has made great strides in organization, development, production, sales, and promotion of its products in the last two years. New medicines and products have been launched on the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What kind of innovations from Bosnalijek are we talking about?

We are pleased with the fact that we have made great progress in our business in a short period and offered new quality products. Our strategy for launching new products has been carried out through three segments. The first related to prescription drugs, which are our core business.

The second segment is our over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, where we first optimized our range and identified products with strong potential that had not been utilized until now. Then, we expanded our OTC drug portfolio with new molecules and formulations. Therefore, this year we are launching nine new prescription drugs on the market. These are modern therapy drugs that were missing from Bosnalijek's current range. Primarily, these are drugs from our cardiology, gastroenterology, and CNS (central nervous system) portfolios.

The third item within this segment is the reclassification of some prescription drugs from the existing portfolio to over-the-counter status, with the aim of making our symptomatic therapy drugs more accessible to patients. For now, this involves three products that have undergone this transformation.

Alerix is a new OTC drug, previously available by prescription under the name Flexofen, followed by Fenix NEO, a new OTC pantoprazole, and the third is Enterofuryl STOP. The demand for Enterofuryl has always been exceptionally high, so one of the first decisions was to make this drug more easily accessible to patients as soon as possible, so that effective and safe diarrhea treatment could be carried out through self-medication.

The third segment is dietary supplements, which is completely new for Bosnalijek. Until now, we only had one dietary supplement, Royal Jelly capsules, which was internally treated as a medicine. Our decision to expand into the development and production of dietary supplements was made with the aim of directing some of our efforts towards prevention and aiding faster recovery, not just treatment as was the case until now. It is important to emphasize here that dietary supplements will be treated internally just like medicines, meaning they will undergo strict pharmaceutical quality control.

You mentioned that dietary supplements will undergo strict pharmaceutical control. Can you explain what that actually means?

Business in the dietary supplement segment is more relaxed in terms of legal regulations; they have certain stronger or weaker evidence of their effectiveness.

Unlike manufacturers of dietary supplements, we claim that our dietary supplements are of pharmaceutical quality because they undergo strict control of incoming raw materials and finished products, just like medicines do.

Although we are not legally obligated to control dietary supplements with the utmost rigor, we do so due to our internal quality control and assurance system.

This means that the declaration on our products corresponds to the actual content, i.e., no component that goes into the product is omitted. Also, the stated health benefits. Pharmaceutical standards of control and quality of our products are truly what differentiates us from all other manufacturers of dietary supplements.

Bosnalijek has so far based its business exclusively on the production of medicines. What led you to this new turn to direct part of your development and production capacities towards a new type of product?

The development and production of medicines will continue to be the main focus of the company's business. However, Bosnalijek does not only want to provide medicine to those who are sick, but also supplementary therapy to prevent certain conditions or illnesses, and to maintain existing health conditions.

Dietary supplements also enable us to support the body with certain substances that are deficient for various reasons, either because we do not consume them through food, or because processes occur that make them less available, or we consume more of them due to exposure to stress and other external influences.

Our primary goal is to provide assistance in preserving our health by strengthening immunity and suppressing some processes that could lead the body out of balance, and to support the normal functioning of physiological processes in the body with adequate supplements. We also want to raise public awareness that health is the greatest treasure that should be constantly cared for and invested in.

On the other hand, we will always strive to invest our efforts as adequately as possible to recognize and develop necessary products whose primary goal will be to strengthen the body's functions and preserve health, in order to meet medical needs.

How many dietary supplements does Bosnalijek currently have in its range and what kind of products are they?

In the first phase, we expanded the Royal Jelly line, which is already recognized both in BiH and in the region. We expanded it with a different formulation. These are drinkable solutions, in which, in addition to royal jelly, we have added various functional additives. We wanted to direct the products more towards the different needs that users have. These are four new Royal Jelly products.

ROYAL KINDER Jelly is intended for children over two years of age, containing 500 mg of royal jelly and enriched with a pleasant banana flavor. Then, there are two products, each with 1000 mg of royal jelly with functional additives. ROYAL SPORT Jelly is a combination of 1000 mg of royal jelly and L-carnitine, intended for people who want to improve their physical fitness and maintain a healthy body weight.

L-carnitine is an amino acid that participates in the process of fat burning and energy production, which contributes to weight management. ROYAL ReVITA Jelly is a combination of 1000 mg of royal jelly and ginseng, a plant root with stimulating properties. This combination is intended for use in states of severe physical and mental exhaustion. The fourth product in the line is ROYAL SUPERIOR Jelly, a dietary supplement whose 10 ml ampoule contains 2000 mg of royal jelly.

This is an exceptionally effective product due to its nutritional, metabolic, and energizing benefits, which support better body function. It is recommended for adults, especially those exposed to heavy physical exertion, people with weakened immunity, and reduced libido.
A new brand in the dietary supplement portfolio is Altioks, a very specific product with extremely high potential. It is a product of our own development. Altioks®, thanks to its chemical structure, protects the cells of the entire organism from the harmful effects of free radicals. Also, I would like to point out that this is the first Bosnalijek product based on alpha-lipoic acid.

Here I would like to emphasize the importance of alpha-lipoic acid, which prevents or slows down many changes in our body, as the formation and action of free radicals are linked to aging, changes in the heart, sugar metabolism, weakening of mental and defense functions, loss of muscle tissue strength, etc. In addition, with its antioxidant properties, it prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and provides protection to the cardiovascular system. Alpha-lipoic acid easily reaches the brain and peripheral nerves through circulation and penetrates all parts of the cells, where it neutralizes free radicals and thus prevents accelerated aging of nerve tissue or the development of chronic degenerative diseases.

I would add that we have developed another drug based on alpha-lipoic acid, which is in the registration process. This registration process is nearing completion, so we can expect the drug in pharmacies in the second half of next year.

Self-medication is a trend in the world today. In our country, people are only beginning to talk about the importance of personal responsibility and active care for one's own health. How is Bosnalijek responding to these trends?

It is true that self-medication is a trend that has been present in developed countries for a long time. In our country, work is just beginning on this. Also, I must admit that the awareness of the population in our region is not at a satisfactory level when it comes to the proper approach to self-medication. In this segment, we have decided to focus our activities on education and providing assistance, in two directions.

The first is continuous, timely, and quality information for pharmacists about our products, as they are often the first point of contact for healthcare professionals that patients turn to for help and advice.

Therefore, we strive to ensure that pharmacists have comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of all products so that they can adequately help patients in deciding which product to choose. Second, it is extremely important that the patient is also as adequately educated as possible to recognize their condition and symptoms. That is why we strive to provide patients with more information about products in the simplest and fastest way possible, which could help them alleviate symptoms and ailments or prevent their occurrence.

In addition to using classic communication channels through which we provide information about new products, we also use modern digital communication channels. Today, patients can find information about Bosnalijek's products in various online content. We have also launched a series of product websites that allow patients to obtain truly more relevant and objective information about the product, as well as the symptoms that cause them discomfort.

We have created seven specialized websites for seven products (lysobact.ba, rhinostop.ba, royal-jelly.ba, altioks.ba, enterofuryl-stop.ba, fenix-neo.ba, alerix.ba) on which we provide a wide range of information.

On our websites, in addition to information about the products and their effects, we also provide medical information and practical advice aimed at helping people recognize their health problems more quickly and easily.

Therefore, the main purpose of developing our websites is to help patients in terms of credible information and advice on "what, when, and how." On our websites, people who engage in self-medication can also find advice on how to choose certain products and whether they should take them at all.

The site also includes a Q&A section, so we can give patients the opportunity to get adequate answers to their dilemmas.

In which markets are Bosnalijek's new products available?

When launching new products, our first step is always to provide the products to the domestic market, in the country where we produce the medicine.

Therefore, as soon as we create the legal prerequisites for registration in BiH, we open up opportunities to register such products in other markets as well.

After BiH, we appear in Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Albania.

Then, the next phase is Russia and CIS countries. We also plan to launch these products in new markets that are in the preparation phase for opening.

By the end of this year, dietary supplements, Altioks, and four new Royal Jelly products will be available in pharmacies in our surrounding countries. And in 2016, we will launch new over-the-counter drugs in these countries as well.

(Source: fokus.ba)