“The pharmaceutical industry is one of Latvia’s highest value-added sectors. Until now, we have focused on manufacturing our own medicines, but the export of pharmaceutical research and development services is another area with significant growth potential. By establishing Olpha Labs, we are taking the next step towards developing internationally competitive pharmaceutical research and development services in Latvia,” emphasises Dr. chem. Juris Hmeļņickis, Chairman of the Management Boards of Olpha and Olpha Labs.
The new company will take over the activities of the existing Olpha Research Centre, focusing on developing new products, advancing scientific expertise, and cooperating with international partners. Olpha Labs will bring research expertise together within a single organisation, enable more efficient management of innovation projects, and facilitate cooperation with international partners. The company also expects this model to strengthen Latvia’s position in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector and generate additional demand for highly qualified specialists.
“We are seeing growing international demand for high-quality research and development services, which we are well equipped to provide. Establishing Olpha Labs will allow us to develop our scientific expertise in a more focused manner, accelerate the development of new products, and participate more actively in international cooperation projects. In doing so, we will continue to strengthen Latvia as a modern, knowledge-based economy whose competitiveness is founded on innovation, high added value, and international cooperation,” says Ēriks Ivanovskis, the current Director of the Olpha Research Centre, who will continue his work as part of the Olpha Labs management team.
Dr. chem. Juris Hmeļņickis, Chairman of the Management Board of Olpha, will also serve as Chairman of the Management Board of Olpha Labs. The new company will employ 50 people.
Following the change in majority ownership, Olpha has been working intensively to expand its product portfolio in the off-patent medicines segment and strengthen its presence in Western markets. Eight new medicines from the company’s new product portfolio have already reached consumers in the European Union, and this number is expected to exceed 20 by the end of the year. They cover therapeutic areas including cardiology, pulmonology, neurology and psychiatry, endocrinology, oncology, and others. The new products are currently available in the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Italy, Slovakia, Poland, and France.