Besins Healthcare

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Besins Healthcare
Company typePrivately held company
IndustryPharmaceutical
Founded1885
FounderAbel Besins and Joseph Lebeau
HeadquartersMonaco
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Nicolas Besins and Alexandre Besins (Chief Executive Officers)
ProductsPharmaceutical products • Hormone replacement therapies
Revenue€500 million (2023)
Number of employees
1,500+
Websitehttps://besins-healthcare.com/

Besins Healthcare is a privately held, fifth-generation family-owned multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Monaco. Founded in 1885 in Paris, Besins Healthcare focuses on transdermal delivery technology treatments and has products available in 100 countries.

The company specializes in Women’s and Men’s Health and is manufacturing and developing drugs for the treatment of gynecological, fertility, and obstetrical conditions as well as androgen deficiencies.[1] Besins Healthcare has three subsidiaries: BHR Pharma, LLC, Ascend Therapeutics and Pure Matters.

Ascend Therapeutics is involved in the research and development of transdermal drugs that are applied to the skin as a gel to treat chronic conditions such as severe breast pain for pre-menopausal women, and low testosterone levels for older men.[1]

History[edit]

Early years[edit]

Besins Healthcare was founded in 1885 by Abel Besins and Joseph Lebeau, who initially produced a medicinal wine: a popular energising tonic of the time. This early venture marked the beginning of the company's journey from a small laboratory to an international pharmaceutical company by the early 20th century.[2]

Recent developments[edit]

In 1972, Besins Healthcare introduced Progestogel: the first gel-based bioidentical progesterone. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the company expanded its portfolio to include treatments for a variety of male and female hormonal conditions.[2]

Timeline of key events[edit]

[2]

  • 1885: Abel Besins and Joseph Lebeau establish the company, launching with the production of a medicinal wine.
  • 1915: Leadership transitions to Jacques Besins, who expands the product range and emphasises in-house manufacturing.
  • 1945: Jean Besins takes over Besins Healthcare and acquires a company with a focus on hormone therapy via transdermal gels.
  • 1960: The company acquire a transdermal gel technology facility in Montrouge, France.
  • 1970: Launch of Progestogel: the world's first hormone therapy gel.[2]
  • 1975: Introduction of Oestrogel: the first oestradiol gel for treating menopause disorders.
  • 1980: Release of Utrogestan: a micronised natural progesterone.
  • 1998: Antoine Besins initiates a global expansion through international partnerships.
  • 2000: Androgel is launched as a male hormone replacement therapy.
  • 2022: Under the leadership of Nicolas and Alexandre Besins, the company undergoes further consolidation and modernisation.
  • 2023: Inauguration of a new plant in Muel, Spain for the production of reproductive hormones.

Therapeutic areas[edit]

Besins Healthcare is focused on health solutions for hormonal-related conditions, with an emphasis on women’s and men’s health.[2] The company's products are designed to support a range of conditions resulting from hormonal imbalances.

Women's health: solutions for fertility, threatened miscarriage, pre-term birth, menopause, endometriosis and complementary medicines.[3]

Men's health: treatments for testosterone deficiency, testosterone-related conditions, semen quality improvement and penis disorders.[3]

Products[edit]

For women[edit]

[4]

  • Utrogestan,[5][6] Prometrium[7] Progestan:[8] micronised progesterone capsules.
  • Oestrogel,[9][10] Estrogel,[11] Oestrodose,[12] Gynokadin:[13] oestradiol gel for oestrogen replacement.
  • Progestogel,[14] Premastan:[15] progesterone gel for supplementation.
  • Dimetrum:[16][17] dienogest tablets for endometriosis pain.
  • Ogestan:[18] nutritional supplement for conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding support.
  • Inversion Femme:[19][20] comprehensive dietary supplement for well-being.

For men[edit]

[21]

  • Androgel,[22] Testogel,[23] Androtop:[24] testosterone replacement therapy.
  • Andractim:[25] androstanolone gel for specific androgen therapy.
  • Andractiv:[26] supplement supporting cellular health and providing antioxidants.

Research and development[edit]

Besins Healthcare is investing in R&D in obstetrics, gynaecology and urology.[27]

International presence and manufacturing capabilities[edit]

Over the past two decades, Besins Healthcare has grown into a global pharmaceutical entity, with a presence in 22 countries around the world.[28] The company has five manufacturing facilities, located in Drogenbos (Belgium), Jundiaí (Brazil), Montrouge (France), Yaroslavl (Russia) and Muel (Spain).[28][29]

The latest one was built in Muel (Spain) and inaugurated on September 20th 2023.[2] These sites are responsible for producing hormone replacement therapies and other pharmaceutical products globally.

Partnerships[edit]

Besins Healthcare has partnerships across various domains focused on improving healthcare outcomes and promoting education in the fields of women’s and men’s health.

Women's health partnerships[edit]

The company supports a broad array of educational programmes. It collaborates with The PREIS School: an institution focused on perinatal, neonatal and reproductive medicine research and education. Additionally, Besins Healthcare is involved with the International Menopause Society (IMS), an organisation focused on menopause and women's healthcare research during the menopausal transition. These partnerships are designed to advance women's health through research and education.[30]

Men's health partnerships[edit]

In the sphere of men's health, Besins Healthcare contributes to the progress of research and educational initiatives. It supports the Andrology Research Academy (AReA) and the Postgraduate International School of Men's Health (PRISM), both of which are focused on improving andrology and men's health education and research. These collaborations aim to foster interdisciplinary training and advancements in men's health.[31]

Sports partnerships[edit]

Besins Healthcare extends its educational outreach by sponsoring sports initiatives and ambassadors. The company supports Allie Pepper, a mountaineer and global ambassador for menopause education, who aims to summit all of the world’s 8,000+ meter mountains without supplemental oxygen.[32] Furthermore, Besins Healthcare is the major sponsor of Monaco Rugby 7, the 2022 Champions of France in Rugby Sevens.[33]

Controversy[edit]

AG Rosenblum Sues Pharmaceutical Giants AbbVie and Besins[edit]

In November 2022, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum sued AbbVie, Abbott Laboratories, Unimed Pharmaceuticals. The lawsuit alleges that the four pharmaceutical companies, which held the exclusive patent for brand-name AndroGel, filed baseless lawsuits to monopolize the market and prevent competitors from entering, which resulted in much higher prices.[34]

Federal Trade Commission v. AbbVie[edit]

The FTC filed a complaint in federal district court in September 2014 charging that AbbVie Inc. and its partner Besins Healthcare Inc. illegally blocked American consumers’ access to lower-cost alternatives to Androgel by filing baseless patent infringement lawsuits against potential generic competitors. In a June 2018 decision, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled that sham litigation was used to create a monopoly.[35]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Flandez, Ramon (July 5, 2004). "For Ascend Therapeutics, Success Is Only Skin Deep". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Besins Healthcare History - A Century of Innovation". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  3. ^ a b "HRT Expertise - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  4. ^ "Healthcare Products & Therapies - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  5. ^ "Utrogestan - Home". Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  6. ^ "Utrogestan 100mg Capsules - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc)". www.medicines.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  7. ^ "Prometrium". NPS MedicineWise. 2022-02-06. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  8. ^ "Gebrauchsinformation: Information für Anwenderinnen – Progestan 100mg weichkapsel Progesteron" (PDF). Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Landing Page". Oestrogel.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  10. ^ "Oestrogel Pump-Pack 750 micrograms/actuation Gel - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc)". www.medicines.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  11. ^ "EstroGel – An Ascend Therapeutics Product". Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  12. ^ "Résumé des caractéristiques du produit - Oestrodose 0,06 Pour Cent, gel pour application cutanée en flacon avec pompe doseuse - Base de données publique des médicaments". base-donnees-publique.medicaments.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  13. ^ "Gebrauchsinformation: Information für Anwenderinnen – Gynokadin Dosiergel 0,6 mg/g Gel Estradiol" (PDF). Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Progestogel" (PDF). Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  15. ^ "Premastin - PLM". www.medicamentosplm.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  16. ^ "Dimetrum - Home". Dimetrum -. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  17. ^ "Dimetrum 2 mg Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc)". www.medicines.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  18. ^ "Myo-Inositol". Ogestan (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  19. ^ "Inversion Femme - Anti Aging Dietary Supplements". Inversion. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  20. ^ Jacquet, Alain; Coolen, Véronique; Vandermander, Jacques (2007). "Effect of dietary supplementation with Inversion Femme on slimming, hair loss, and skin and nail parameters in women". Advances in Therapy. 24 (5): 1154–1171. doi:10.1007/BF02877721. ISSN 0741-238X. PMID 18029342.
  21. ^ "Healthcare Products & Therapies - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  22. ^ "The Official AndroGel (testosterone gel) 1.62% CIII Website". Androgel. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  23. ^ "Home". Testogel. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  24. ^ "Charakterstyka Produktu Leczniczego – Androtop, 16,2 mg/g, żel" (PDF). besins-healthcare.pl. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Fiche info - Andractim, gel pour application locale - Base de données publique des médicaments". base-donnees-publique.medicaments.gouv.fr. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  26. ^ "Antioxidant-rich Oral Capsule Andractiv - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  27. ^ "Innovative R&D - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  28. ^ a b "Key Facts and Milestones - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  29. ^ "Manufacturing Excellence - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  30. ^ "Strategic Partnerships - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  31. ^ "Strategic Partnerships - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  32. ^ "Health Ambassador Program - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  33. ^ "Monaco Rugby Support - Besins Healthcare". www.besins-healthcare.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  34. ^ Nguyen, Ally (2022-11-10). "AG Rosenblum Sues Pharmaceutical Giants AbbVie and Besins". Oregon Department of Justice. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  35. ^ "AbbVie Inc., et al". Federal Trade Commission. 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
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