Laboratoire AGUETTANT is an independent, medium-sized family enterprise which specializes in injectable medicines. The pioneering pharmaceutical company has been focusing on injectable solutions since 1903 and was founded as a distributor of chemical and pharmaceutical products by Louis-Joseph Aguettant and Bruno Tavernier in 1880.
Today, Laboratoire AGUETTANT operates globally with over 500 employees, annual revenues of 110 million EUR, two modern production plants in France and sales and service offices in Belgium, Germany, the UK, Singapore and Vietnam.
The comprehensive product range of Laboratoire AGUETTANT covers four main application areas: emergency medicine, neurology, nutrition and infusion.
The Emergency Medicine division offers a wide selection of essential, life-saving drugs, particularly in the areas of catecholamines, anaesthetics and algology, and includes a growing range of sulphite-free products.
The Neurology business unit of Laboratoire AGUETTANT is a major player in developing effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease. In particular, it offers injectable solutions to manage motor fluctuations which affect many patients suffering from the terminal illness.
In addition, Laboratoire AGUETTANT has developed specific drugs for the therapy of epilepsy disorders. The third product division comprises injectable trace elements for parenteral nutrition. As these micronutrients should be combined with macronutrients, Laboratoire AGUETTANT also offers a complete range of electrolytes and vitamins.
The fourth product line includes infusion solutions for urology, rinsing and care. In all therapeutic areas, Laboratoire AGUETTANT fulfils the most stringent pharmaceutical quality and safety requirements.
Simultaneously, the French pharmaceutical group is committed to making the use of its products as easy and convenient as possible, both for healthcare professionals and patients. This is why Laboratoire AGUETTANT has developed an innovative delivery system for its drugs.
“Our unique drug delivery system is ready and easy to use and minimizes waste,” explains Chief Executive Officer Eric Rougemond, who has advanced the company’s globalization in the past three years. “Thanks to the combination of the right drug and the right delivery system, we have achieved a leading market position and a sustainable competitive advantage in the international pharmaceutical industry.”
The special AGUETTANT drug delivery system is a result of the company’s constant efforts in bringing effective pharmaceuticals and efficient technology together to provide hospital staff and patients with a easy-to-use, safe solution.
The patented AGUETTANT System® currently consists of two highly advanced devices: a ready-to-use, pre-filled plastic syringe and a multi-dose, multi-use auto-injector pen. When Laboratoire AGUETTANT introduced the system five years ago, the plastic syringe received an award at the annual Pharmapack Europe conference and exhibition in Paris, the leading European event for innovative pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery solutions.
The ready-to-use injection solutions offered by Laboratoire AGUETTANT present a completely new drug delivery system. They are provided as fully drawn up syringes. “This saves health professionals valuable time, especially in emergency situations,” Mr. Rougemond describes a major benefit of the AGUETTANT System®.
“Ready-to-use syringes are also very safe and hygienic and minimize the risk of mistakes. Last but not least, they contribute to the reduction of waste, compared to the use of ampoules containing the liquid. The preparation of ready-to-use injection solutions requires in-depth knowledge of the production process, and also of the drugs themselves, particularly as regards their stability. In this area, we have accumulated great expertise and filed many patents.”
Laboratoire AGUETTANT also excels in individually composed injection solutions. “Injection solutions are generally subject to very high safety and quality standards,” states Mr. Rougemond. “In the case of compositions, these standards are even higher and require even greater expertise.”
Laboratoire AGUETTANT sells the vast majority of its products to hospitals. In France and countries with its own subsidiary operations, the company serves its customers directly. In all other markets, Laboratoire AGUETTANT works together with wholesaling businesses.
In the past, the pharmaceutical company was focused on the domestic market to a large extent. Only in the last few years has Laboratoire AGUETTANT developed a sizable international position.
Today, the company ships 25% of its injection solutions abroad. “We see great potential in foreign markets for our innovative drug delivery system and are determined to further grow our international marketing activities,” states Mr. Rougemond. “In particular, we intend to develop the US market which is one of the largest and most dynamically evolving health industries worldwide. We are currently investing in new, state-of-the-art plants to meet the high standards of the American Food and Drug Administration. In addition, we plan to open new subsidiary companies in Italy and Spain by Q1 2016 to further extend our European presence.”
Laboratoire AGUETTANT operates two production sites in France under the supervision of the French Agency for the Safety of Health Products: one in Lyon at the company’s main location and one in Ardèche in Champagne. The Lyon facility produces syringes, pens, vials and ampoules.
To meet the stringent safety and hygiene demands, the plant is provided with its own Controlled Atmosphere Area for the most sensitive step in the processing chain: filling. At the heart of the Lyon production unit is a new line for the company’s award-winning, patented pre-filled plastic syringes.
The second plant in Ardèche focuses on the production of plastic ampoules and pouring bottles. The ampoules and bottles are blown up just before filling to guarantee highest safety and hygiene standards.
With its injection solutions, Laboratoire AGUETTANT is operating in a highly dynamic market with significant growth potential. “At the same time, however, the health sector is governed by many legislative regulations limiting the expansion opportunities,” says Mr. Rougemond. “In addition, there is strong pricing pressure, not least due to more and more generic medication. This is why we are placing great emphasis on constant innovation to sustain our competitive edge and further enhance our market penetration at home and abroad.”
The outstanding innovative power of Laboratoire AGUETTANT is combined with more than a century of experience in drug development and delivery systems and the company’s coverage of the entire value chain, from development and production to distribution and logistics.
Yet the main competitive advantage of the French pharmaceutical company is its unique combination of effective medicine and efficient delivery solutions.
“ There are competitors offering the same drugs as we are,” explains Mr. Rougemond. “But these do not have comparable delivery systems. This allows us to evade price wars. Our ready-to-use drug delivery system offers a win-win situation as it benefits all protagonists in the health system: patients benefit from safe and easy administration, health professionals benefit from optimally prepared products and time saving, and health insurers benefit from reduced waste and expense.”
