Q&A: Camber’s Ostaficiuk discusses generic firm’s growing portfolio
Camber Pharmaceuticals, the American subsidiary of parent company Hetero Labs, has had a busy 2020 and 2021. As it comes off a year and a half of intense work, largely spurred by the need to keep operating and supplying medicine throughout the pandemic, Camber is continuing to grow its portfolio. Drug Store News caught up with Kon Ostaficiuk, president of Camber, to find out how the company has navigated COVID-19 and what is coming down the pike.
Drug Store News: How has Camber met the challenge of meeting demand for generics during a pandemic?
Kon Ostaficiuk: The past 18 months have been the most challenging in memory, and Camber has met the challenge of providing uninterrupted access to all our essential medicines. In the face of numerous obstacles, our parent company, Hetero Drugs of India, has worked tirelessly to maintain the integrity of our supply chain, while also leading the fight against COVID 19 worldwide.
Hetero was the first company to launch the licensed generic version of remdesivir in the Indian pharma market under the brand name Covifor. Hetero is producing over 100 million doses of the Sputnik V COVID vaccine per year in India, the world’s first registered vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection. Hetero is continually adding to their manufacturing capabilities, including their own key starting materials, and have more than doubled tech transfers between facilities to ensure continued production of both APIs and finished doses.
[Read more: Rolling with the punches: Generics firms innovate, expand scope to stay competitive]
We have achieved many of the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of 2021 in impressive fashion. Among them are building and maintaining an abundant inventory of safety stock on many items that our customers depend on most. We have also completed our new headquarters and warehouse facility, greatly expanding our capabilities. We utilize our global resources to bring val-ue as a trusted and reliable trading partner.
DSN: What is new at the company?
KO: Long known for being a leader in antiviral and antiretroviral products, Hetero and Camber will soon be launching a comprehensive portfolio of oncology products. Having recently launched sev-eral injectable products, Camber has a robust pipeline of injectable products in the coming months. We have added a variety of dose forms to our product line, including suppositories, oint-ments, and suspensions.
Camber Consumer Care has recently introduced several new products to our growing portfolio of allergy, pain, and gastroenterology products including, loratadine, omeprazole and polyethylene glycol. Our mission is to provide a focused and reliable supply of over-the-counter drugs to the marketplace, creating value for our partners and savings for the consumer. Our vision is to become a strategic supplier to retailers demanding a quality-driven, reliable, and responsive OTC store-brand source.
[Read more: Camber intros new strength for generic Lioresal]
DSN: How is Camber helping partners and patients?
KO: Camber helps customers and patients in many ways, but one of the most important, is to mitigate risk in the supply chain and keep a consistent flow of products to maintain critical service levels. The way Camber mitigates risks to customers is a multi-faceted approach that includes the total efforts of our entire organization. Our track record shows that we have been very successful in that regard.
Camber’s risk management approach includes:
• Anticipating potential problems;
• Promoting transparent communication with our customers;
• Maintaining a strong supply chain and safety inventory;
• Providing unparalleled customer service ; and
• Evaluating results and constantly improving our processes.
Camber goes the extra mile to understand the dynamics and concerns facing our customers and their patients. From sales to finance, from customer service to supply chain, the people of Camber foster high-touch relationships across all departments of your organization. Camber is committed to customer service and continuous supply.