Baurs secures sole distributorship deal of GSK medicines, vaccines in SL

Baurs Managing Director/CEO Rolf Blaser (second from left) exchanging the distribution agreement with GSK Executive Director/CFO and Country Manager, Sri Lanka and Maldives Manoj Jayawardena. Baurs Healthcare Director Nishantha Weerasinghe and Baurs Life Sciences Director Gehan Seneviratne look on – Pic by Ruwan Walpola 

• Deal considered the biggest in SL pharma industry in recent years
• Major addition to Baurs growing portfolio of global healthcare brands
• For global giant GSK the move ensures continued commitment to Sri Lankan market and healthcare industry

A. Baur and Co. one of the country’s leading conglomerates with diversified business interests, recently entered into a partnership last week to be the sole importer and distributor of multinational pharmaceutical giant GSK’s prescription medicines and vaccines in Sri Lanka.

During the latter part of last year, GSK announced its intention to wind down its commercial business in Sri Lanka. 

With this new alliance, both Baurs and GSK reaffirm their unwavering commitment to the people of the country and ensure patients have uninterrupted access to GSK’s safe, effective and high-quality medications.

The deal, considered the biggest in the Sri Lankan pharma industry in recent years, is a major milestone for Baurs and an important addition to its growing portfolio of global healthcare brands. For GSK, the move ensures its continued commitment to the Sri Lankan market and healthcare industry.  Sri Lanka also becomes among GSK’s Partner Countries category which now spans 70 nations.  

Baurs has a distinctive reputation over the decades as a highly ethical, credible and competent entity, with an extensive distribution network backed by state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and powerful business models. Through this partnership, GSK’s portfolio of science, medicine, R&D, and innovation will continue to be available to doctors and patients.

Since Baurs’ forayed into the healthcare sector in 1945, the division has evolved to one of the most sought-after agencies for surgical, diagnostic and medical nutritional products with an impeccable track record for reliability, innovation, trust, and quality. GSK’s partnership with Baurs exhibits this, on the backdrop of Baurs continuing to represent some of the largest and internationally well reputed pharmaceutical brands in Sri Lanka.  

They include Sanofi, Novartis, Sandoz, Nestlé Health Science, Merck, Roche, isispharma, MSD, Vitrolife, Unichem, Apex, Alcon, Vaitris, Inova, Santen, Eisai, Mega life Science, Rohto, Dexa Medica, Takeda and Ajanta Pharma among others.

In the Sri Lankan context, GSK is the market leader in the antibiotic market with Augmentin (Amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid), and the leading supplier of vaccines for many therapeutic areas in pediatric and adult vaccination, including Seretide (Salmeterol, Fluticasone propionate), the leading brand in its respiratory portfolio locally.

Baurs said it will uphold its highest level of governance and compliance for end-to-end activities from manufacturer to the patient. Through its expansive distribution and robust marketing competencies, the company hopes to further enhance product availability across the island, complying with industry standards in cold chain management.

With a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease, GSK’s aim is to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of 2030. These bold ambitions for patients are reflected in commitments to growth and a step change in performance.

GSK is prioritising research into vaccines and medicines across four core therapeutic areas: infectious diseases, HIV, oncology, and immunology. At the heart of enabling this work is its R&D focus on the science of the immune system, human genetics, and advanced technologies.