ROVI Laboratories

Our Rules and Values

ROVI is a Spanish integrated and specialist pharmaceutical company devoted to research, development, manufacturing and marketing of small molecules and biological medical specialities.

The origins of ROVI date back to 1946, when it began its business operations, and since 1951 it has adopted the corporate name of “Laboratorios Farmacéuticos Rovi, S.A.”.

Prior to 1981, the Company’s activity mainly comprised the marketing in Spain of its own products based on heparin, such as sodium heparin, and pharmaceutical specialities from other international companies pursuant to the corresponding licence agreements.

In 1981, ROVI began its research into fractionated derivatives of heparin known as low molecular weight heparins (“LMWH”). These are used prophylactically in the prevention and treatment of venous thromboembolic disease (“VTD”).

In the 1990s, as the result of its research activities, ROVI developed a second generation Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) known as Bemiparin. This is the active substance of its main product, called Hibor, and is characterized by its versatility. As a result of this, Hibor has consolidated its position on the market for anti-thrombotic products as the second most sold LMWH in Spain, with a market share of 24% as of September, 2010.

In 1994, ROVI obtained the Good Manufacturing Practices Certificate for its manufacturing and packaging facilities. This allowed the company to begin offering after 1995 high added-value packaging services to leading international pharmaceutical companies, thus maximizing the capacity of its leading-edge manufacturing and packaging facilities. We are specialists in the manufacturing of packaged small-volume parenteral (SVP) solutions, both in pre-filled syringes and vials.

At the end of the 1990s, ROVI started its activities in Portugal with the marketing of contrast media that were already on the market in Spain.

In 2002, the Company started its process of internationalization with the marketing approval of Bemiparin in Central America and in 2003 in various European markets, such as United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Greece and Italy.

Since then, Bemiparin has extended its international coverage to a total of 82 countries. To this end, ROVI has reached distribution agreements with up to 25 international partners in Italy, Central America, Argentina, Eastern Europe and countries in Commonwealth of Independent States, Ireland, Austria, Greece, Asia and North Africa, India, China and Hong Kong, South Africa, etc.

In 2003, ROVI received the Prince Philip Prize for Corporate Excellence in the field of Technological Innovation awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, for its research and development efforts in the field of anti-coagulant and anti-thrombotic drugs derived from heparin and its repercussion on national and international markets.

In 2004, ROVI obtained the classification of “Excellent”, the highest distinction awarded each year by the Ministry of Industry for its innovation and contribution to research and development consortia (“R&D”) in Spain.

During 2006, the Company began the construction of a Technological Research and Development Centre located in the Health Technology Park in Granada for the manufacture of active substances and to strengthen its R&D activities. This centre started to operate in 2009 and represents ROVI’s wager in favor of the expansion of innovative activities.

In 2007, ROVI acquired the Bertex Pharma GMBH company, a German firm specializing in the technology of slow-release injectable micro-particles, in order to complete and increase the potential of its current R&D pipeline. This is a new technology for the administration of pharmaceutical product that allows the slow-acting release of injectable drugs, in order to reduce the number of doses necessary and facilitate therapeutic compliance by patients.

In 2008, ROVI obtained two new licences to market: Pneumovax-23 from Sanofi Pasteur MSD, a vaccine that helps to protect against serious infections caused by the bacterium pneumococcos, and EXXIV from MSD, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory product used to treat the symptoms of arthrosis.


In 2009, ROVI signed a Strategic Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Marketing Agreement with Merck Sharp & Dhome (MSD) in Spain. Under the agreement, ROVI acquires the manufacturing and packaging operations of the MSD facility in Alcala de Henares, Frosst Ibérica, manufactures and supplies to MSD the products produced at the facility before the acquisition, adds three MSD products to its portfolio (Ameride, Tryptizol and Prinivil and Prinivil Plus) and receives distribution rights in Spain to five MSD products through a co-marketing agreement. In addition, in the same year, ROVI signed a protocol of intentions with the Spanish government for the development of a centre for the investigation and production of vaccines for seasonal and pandemic flu in Spain. Both agreements provide ROVI with the opportunity for sustained and profitable growth in the long term as they allow it to renew its product portfolio and to maximize the potential of the infrastructure built and purchased.