Prof. Zdenko Časar, PhD, Head Prototype Analytics at Development Center Slovenia in Lek receives this year's Puh Certificate of Recognition for great achievements in the field of development
- Časar, PhD received the award for his interdisciplinary research across organic and pharmaceutical chemistry focused on environmentally acceptable and efficient synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
- The Award proves a high level of expertise of Lek's talents and acknowledges the strategic contribution of Lek's researchers in development activities taking place in Slovenia.
- At the end of 2015, Lek employed 3,350 employees; 45.6% employees hold a university degree with 369 master's and doctoral degrees. 21.5% of all employees at Lek work in development.
Yesterday Prof. Zdenko Časar, PhD, Head Prototype Analytics at Lek Development Center received the Puh Certificate of Recognition for his exceptional work.
For the tenth year in a row, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport rewards important achievements in development activities by the Puh Certificate of Recognition for inventions, development achievements and the use of scientific results in introducing innovation in business practice. The Puh Certificate of Recognition rewards achievements showing:
- exceptional technical excellence,
- increased competitiveness and added value of products,
- opportunities for new markets,
- opportunities to create new jobs and companies.
The award to Časar, PhD was presented and justified with the following explanation: “According to SICRIS Organic chemistry and Pharmacy Database, Časar, PhD has been ranked amongst top researchers (1st or 2nd) since 2014. His research results illustrate, that Časar, PhD has exceptional skills in linking science and economic challenges. Furtermore, IMS Health database shows that Lek/Sandoz generated USD 3 million sale in 2014 only with the medicinal product based on cabergoline, an active ingredient invented by Časar, PhD and his team.
In Slovenia, Časar, PhD is considered the leading API synthesis researcher exceeding many requirements required by criteria for conferring the Puh Certificate of Recognition.”
Prof. Zdenko Časar, PhD, Head Prototype Analytics at the Development Center Slovenia, has been working for Lek for more than 11 years. With his research, he made a valuable contribution to a number of areas at Lek in Slovenia as well as within Sandoz Germany.
Upon receiving this honorable award Časar, PhD, said: “The Puh Certificate of Recognition is the top State Award conferred for significant achievements in research, inventions, and the use of scientific results in introducing innovation in business practice. I am very honored that the Board recognized the excellence of my innovation achievements within the Lek company and awarded me this Certificate. Personally, I consider this award as an acknowledgement for good work delivered at the Lek Development Center over the last seven years. Our knowledge and creativity in development was used to the maximum to ensure competitive advantage of our products. For Lek, this Certificate is an affirmation for providing the best conditions to deliver creative work and ensuring an encouraging and creative environment that fosters maximally utilized knowledge. Motivated associates with the desire for improvements and success are without doubt my greatest motivation, while at the same time they are the ones who drive the progress across our department, organizational unit and the Lek company.”
The Puh Certificate of Recognition acknowledges the high level of expertise of Lek's talents. At the end of 2015, Lek employed 3,350 employees of which 45.6% hold a university degree with 369 master's and doctoral degrees. 21.5% of all employees at Lek work in development. In the period from January to September 2016, Lek created 260 new jobs, mostly of high-added-value.
Lek, a Sandoz company, is one of the key pillars of the second-largest generic pharmaceutical company globally. Its role within Sandoz is to act as: a leading global development center for technologically demanding products and technologies; a key global manufacturing center for active pharmaceutical ingredients and medicines; a competence center for the development of vertically integrated products; a Sandoz competence center in the field of development and manufacturing of biosimilar active ingredients and products; a supply center for the markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), South East Europe (SEE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and is responsible for marketing and sales of Sandoz products on the Slovenian market. For further information, please visit www.lek.si.
Sandoz is a global leader in generic and biosimilar pharmaceuticals. As a division of the Novartis Group, our purpose is to discover new ways to improve and extend people’s lives. We contribute to society’s ability to support growing healthcare needs by pioneering novel approaches to help people around the world access high-quality medicine. Our portfolio of approximately 1000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2015 sales of USD 10.1 billion. In 2015, our products reached more than 500 million patients and we aspire to reach one billion. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany’s Greater Munich area.
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Novartis provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, eye care and cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals. Novartis is the only global company with leading positions in these areas. In 2015, the Group achieved net sales of USD 49.4 billion, while R&D throughout the Group amounted to approximately USD 8.9 billion (USD 8.7 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges). Novartis Group companies employ approximately 118,000 full-time-equivalent associates. Novartis products are available in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.novartis.com.
This press release contains statements and conclusions based on projections of Lek’s future business operations. These estimates are derived from the best information currently available. In case these forecasts prove unreliable, the actual results could prove different from those projected.
For additional information contact:
Katarina Klemenc
Corporate Communications
Lek Pharmaceuticals d. d.
Phone: +386 1 580 22 43
Fax: +386 1 580 24 32
katarina.klemenc@sandoz.com
