History of the company
The corporate predecessor of IMUNA PHARM, a.s. was founded in Šarišské Michaľany, Slovakia, on 1. January 1953, as the state-owned company Imuna š.p.
The first batch of anti-tetanus serum and vaccines was produced three years later. Gradually, our activities expanded to other areas of manufacture and research – vaccines, blood plasma preparations, culture media, diagnostic preparations, infusions, dialysis solutions, preservative solutions, dietetic substances and additives, tablets and veterinary medicines.
Manufacture of blood derivatives was initiated one year after production at Imuna was launched in 1957. Our production technology was based on fractionation methods developed at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and tested at the Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion in Prague. The first preparations to be manufactured were fibrin foam, fibrin film, and 20% albumin. Immunoglobulin production was begun shortly after and the IVEGA intravenous solution, produced since 1979, was an important product in this regard. Imuna was the exclusive processing plant for Czech and Slovak blood plasma for blood derivatives and dried human plasma. Currently, IMUNA PHARM, a.s. administers plasma collection in the Slovak Republic and cooperates with the Spanish company Instituto Grifols where it is separately processed and returned to the Slovak market in the form of medical substances. At present, IMUNA PHARM, a.s. is the only company in Slovakia to offer blood derivatives from Slovak plasma.
The manufacture of infusions and microbiological diagnostic preparations was launched in 1957, together with the manufacture of blood derivatives.
In 1971, the production of solid medical substances in tablet form – adsorbents – was transferred to Imuna.
Since 1976, patients with phenylketonuria have been able to use a special dietetic preparation based on sugars and digested proteins called Sinfenal. Later, a similar preparation with added minerals was put into production under the product name Sinfemix. Both substances contain phenylalanine-free amino acids. In 1994, a purely amino-acid-based preparation, Aminoacid, began to be manufactured; it was intended as a source of protein energy for athletes under physical exertion. In 2004, this product was replaced by the preparations SinPhe1 and Sinphe Basic upon the conclusion of their development process. At present, IMUNA PHARM, a.s. also produces the dietetic preparation SinPhe 1 junior for children 1 to 8 years of age.
IMUNA PHARM, a.s. took over part of the original company Imuna š.p. production range and continues to manufacture these products, market them and invest into further research and development. The existing product range was supplemented by new methods of manufacture and new product lines with emphasis on biotechnology such as vaccines, cell implants, immunomodulators, probiotics, lysates and other substances.
In recent years, IMUNA PHARM, a.s. has undergone a number of transformations, especially in areas of technological development, marketing development and strategic development. It continues the advances by which it has become a modern manufacturing pharmaceutical company successful in its current market. Its corporate goals are to transform the quality and tradition of the company on the Central European market into the global arena.
Important milestones in the history of IMUNA PHARM, a.s.:
- 1953 – IMUNA š.p. was founded
- 1956 – production of anti-tetanus vaccine started
- 1957 – production of blood derivatives and microbiological diagnostic products begunsolution programme launched (infusions and dialysis concentrates)
- 1960 – production of culture media launched
- 1971 – production of absorbents transferred from Slovakofarma to Imuna
- 1976 – production of dietetic substances for patients with phenylketonuria initiated
- 1979 – production of immunoglobulins – with the IVEGA intravenous treatment being most frequently used
- 2002 – IMUNA PHARM, a.s. was established
- 2007 – production of cell implants commenced
- 2008 – production of probiotics instigated
- 2010 – production of vaccines started
- 2015 – modernisation of manufacturing of dialysis solutions
- 2016 – opening of a new plant for production of infusion solutions
