Unilab

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UNILAB
FormerlyUnited Drug
TypePrivate
IndustryPharmaceutical
Founded1945; 76 years ago (1945)
Founders
Headquarters
Mandaluyong
,
Philippines
Area served
Southeast Asia
Products
  • Medicine
  • Vitamin supplements
BrandsRiteMed
SubsidiariesBio-ONCO
Biofemme
Biomedis
LRI-Therapharma
Medichem
Pediatricia
UAP (United American Pharmaceuticals)
Unilab Consumer Health
Westmont
Websitewww.unilab.com.ph

United Laboratories, Inc., commonly known as Unilab (stylized as UNILAB) is a Philippine private pharmaceutical company.[1]

Unilab is the largest pharmaceutical company in the Philippines in terms of market share. As of 2016, it accounts for 25.1% of the market share in the Philippines ahead of foreign multinational companies Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.[2]

History[]

United Laboratories or Unilab, started out in 1945 as a small drugstore at Santo Cristo Street in Binondo, Manila with the name United Drug Co. It was co-founded by Jose Yao Campos, Mariano K. Tan, and Arsenio Ong.[3][4] With the aid of Howard Q. Dee, Campos brother-in-law, the company significantly grew within its first 14 years of operations and[3] by 1959, the business was already exporting its products to Hong Kong.[4]

Unilab benefitted from Campos' close association with President Ferdinand Marcos, although the company already has relative success prior to Marcos' presidency and the imposition of Martial law in the 1970s. Unilab sometime during Marcos' presidency was granted exclusive license to import pharmaceuticals.[5]

From the 1960s to the 2000s, Unilab established presence in other countries in Southeast Asia including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Myanmar, as well as in Hong Kong.[6][7]

In 2002, Unilab entered the generics drug industry by setting up RiteMed.[8]

Unilab established Synnovate Pharma Corp. in 2013 marking the start of its involvement in plant-based medicine.[9] In 2016, Unilab through its subsidiary RiteMed Philippines, Inc. fully acquired Pharex HealthCorp, a generic drug company under Pascual Laboratories Inc.[8]

In 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Unilab announced plans to set up a vaccine manufacturing plant by 2023.[10]

Products[]

Unilab's products include branded medicine such as Biogesic and Alaxan[6] and vitamin supplements such as Conzace and Enervon.[11] Unilab also owns the generic drug brand RiteMed and Pharex, both of which are managed under its subsidiary RiteMed Philippines, Inc.[8]

Susidiaries[]

  • Bio-ONCO
  • Biofemme
  • Biomedis
  • LRI-Therapharma
  • Medichem
  • Pediatricia
  • UAP (United American Pharmaceuticals)
  • Unilab Consumer Health
  • Westmont

Former subsidiaries[]

  • Myra

References[]

  1. ^ Venzon, Cliff (October 19, 2020). "Philippines' faltering stock market throws open the doors". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  2. ^ Reyes, Celia; Tabuga, Aubrey (2020). "A Profile of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Industry" (PDF). PCC Issues Paper. Philippine Competition Commission (2): 36. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Flores, Wilson Lee (August 21, 2006). "The Pharmaceutical King's little-told tale". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Lopez, Tony (May 15, 2006). "Jose Y. Campos". The Manila Times. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  5. ^ Crewdson, John (March 23, 1986). "Marcos Graft Staggering: Investigators Trace Billions In Holdings". Chicago Tribune.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "UNILAB Expands operations in Myanmar". Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  7. ^ "Our Humble Beginnings". Unilab. United Laboratories, Inc. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c Gonzales, Iris (September 19, 2016). "Unilab buys Pascual Lab generics unit". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Enriquez, Marge (October 13, 2019). "Big Filipino Pharma bets big on natural health products". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. ^ Cahiles-Magkilat, Bernie (April 16, 2021). "Unilab confirmed for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Royandoyan, Ramon (September 23, 2020). "Pandemic fortifies Filipinos' splurge on multivitamins". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 18, 2021.


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