VietNamNet Bridge - The heads of the Ministry of Health had doubts that the producer Nanogen had made a special drug -- until they saw how it was made. 

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In late 2010, the domestic pharmaceutical community was stirred up by information that a global pharmaceutical firm sued because of Pegnano, a drug to treat hepatitis, for copyright infringement.

The case cooled down three years later as the multi-national pharmacy firm could not show evidence to prove copyright infringement.

People now know that Nanogen is the producer of Pegnano, but they may not know the path that the Vietnamese biopharmaceutical manufacturer had to take.

Some years ago, hepatitis was considered a dangerous disease in Vietnam. There were only about 1,000 people who could import drugs to treat the disease because they were very expensive.
Some years ago, hepatitis was considered a dangerous disease in Vietnam. There were only about 1,000 people who could import drugs to treat the disease because they were very expensive.

But the disease can be controlled now. And the drug made by Nanogen has made a great contribution to the achievement. 

Pegnano accounts for 80 percent of the B- and C-type hepatitis drug market share only after two years on the market. 

With molecular biological method, Nanogen is producing many other drugs to treat kidney failure, cirrhosis, increased neutrophil, to support cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy – the drugs which could be made only by multi-national groups.

Having become popular with physicians, Nanogen does not spend money on marketing plans to be better known in Vietnam. The founder and CEO of Nanogen, Dr Ho Nhan, is  a quiet man. He followed higher education in the US and lived there. However, when realizing there was no company capable enough to make biopharmaceuticals, he decided to return. 

At that time, there was no study for application of molecular biology. There was also no legal foundation to manage companies in the field.

“My project on making biopharmaceuticals only got approval from state management agencies after two years of submission,” he said.

Ten years have elapsed since the day Nhan set up Nanogen in 2006. Two new modern plants with European standards with total investment capital of $50 million have been put into operation which can churn out 40 million units of drugs each year.

Every biological drug manufacturing process comprises about 5,000 steps which need to be taken in a cautious manner to ensure quality and satisfy strict requirements. This explained why MOH’s officials did not believe that Nanogen could make the products until they saw the production process.

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