United Laboratories, Inc.
Unilab
FormerlyUnited Drug Company, Inc. (1945–1953)
TypePrivate
IndustryConsumer goods
FoundedJanuary 1, 1945 (1945-01-01)
Founders
Headquarters66 United Street,
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
,
Philippines
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jocelyn Campos Hess (Chairman)
Clinton Campos Hess (President and CEO)
Products
RevenueIncrease ₱2 billion (2023)
Number of employees
6,000 (2023)
DivisionsUnilab Foundation
Subsidiaries
  • Amherst Laboratories
  • Belmont Softgel Pharma Corporation
  • Bio-ONCO
  • Biofemme
  • Biomedis
  • Darya-Varia Laboratoria
  • Dialaska
  • LRI-Therapharma
  • Medichem
  • Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc.
  • Pediatrica, Inc.
  • RiteMed Philippines, Inc.
  • UL Health Services
  • UL Skin Sciences
  • United American Pharmaceuticals
  • Unilab Consumer Health
  • United Home
  • Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company
  • Westmont Laboratories
Websiteunilab.com.ph

The United Laboratories, Inc., commonly known as Unilab (stylized in uppercase), is a Philippine privately held multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Mandaluyong.[1] It specializes in a wide range of consumer healthcare, biotechnology, personal care, and veterinary products.

Unilab is the largest pharmaceutical company in Southeast Asia in terms of market share. As of 2016, it accounts for 25.1% of the market share in the Philippines, ahead of foreign multinational companies Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer, Sanofi, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, Taisho, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.[2]

History

United Laboratories or Unilab started out in 1945 as a small drugstore at Santo Cristo Street in Binondo, Manila with the name United Drug Company, Inc. It was co-founded by Jose Yao Campos, Mariano K. Tan, and Arsenio Ong.[3][4] With the aid of Howard Q. Dee, Yao Campos' brother-in-law, the company significantly grew within its first 14 years of operations[3] and by 1959, the business was already exporting its products to Hong Kong.[4]

Unilab benefitted from Yao Campos' close association with President Ferdinand Marcos, although the company already has had relative success prior to Marcos' presidency and the imposition of martial law in the 1970s. During the Marcos administration, Unilab was granted exclusive license to import pharmaceuticals.[5]

From the 1960s to the 2000s, Unilab established presence in other countries in Southeast Asia including Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, and Myanmar, as well as in the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong.[6][7]

In 2002, Unilab entered the generics drug industry by setting up RiteMed.[8]

Unilab established Synnovate Pharma Corp. in 2013 marking the start of its involvement in plant-based medicine.[9] In 2016, Unilab through its subsidiary RiteMed Philippines, Inc. fully acquired Pharex Health Corporation, a generic drug company under Pascual Laboratories, Inc.[8]

In 2018, Unilab established its personal care unit, UL Skin Sciences.[10]

Also in 2013, Unilab started the operation of Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc., a string of locally respected and prominent hospitals in key areas across the country which the company has shared ownership of. They call these health facilities as "partner hospitals," examples of which are Mary Mediatrix Medical Center in Lipa City, Batangas, HealthServ Los Banos Medical Center in Laguna, and Tagaytay Medical Center in Cavite, to name a few. [11]

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Unilab announced plans to set up a vaccine manufacturing plant by 2023.[12]

Products

Unilab's products include branded medicine such as Biogesic, Neozep and Alaxan and vitamin supplements such as Conzace and Enervon.[13] Unilab also owns the generic drug brand RiteMed and Pharex, both of which are managed under its subsidiary RiteMed Philippines, Inc.

Subsidiaries

  • Unilab, Inc.
    • Amherst Laboratories
    • Belmont Softgel Pharma Corporation
    • Bio-ONCO
    • Biofemme
    • Biomedis
    • Dialaska
    • LRI-Therapharma (formerly LR Imperial Inc. and Therapharma)
    • Medichem
    • Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc
    • Pediatrica, Inc.
    • United American Pharmaceuticals (UAP)
    • Unilab Consumer Health (formerly the Proprietary Business (Probus) division)
    • United Home
    • Westmont Laboratories
  • RiteMed Philippines, Inc.
    • Pharex Health Corporation (acquired from Pascual Laboratories)
  • UL Skin Sciences, Inc. (formerly Innovitelle and Myra)
  • UL Health Services
  • Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company (UNAHCO, formerly Univet Agricultural Products)
  • PT Darya-Varia Laboratoria Tbk

Former subsidiary

  • Myra (now a brand under UL Skin Sciences, Inc.)

References

  1. ↑ Venzon, Cliff (October 19, 2020). "Philippines' faltering stock market throws open the doors". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  2. ↑ Reyes, Celia; Tabuga, Aubrey (2020). "A Profile of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Industry" (PDF). PCC Issues Paper. Philippine Competition Commission (2): 36. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Flores, Wilson Lee (August 21, 2006). "The Pharmaceutical King's little-told tale". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Lopez, Tony (May 15, 2006). "Jose Y. Campos". The Manila Times. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ Crewdson, John (March 23, 1986). "Marcos Graft Staggering: Investigators Trace Billions In Holdings". Chicago Tribune.
  6. ↑ "UNILAB Expands operations in Myanmar". Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Our Humble Beginnings". Unilab. United Laboratories, Inc. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  8. 1 2 Gonzales, Iris (September 19, 2016). "Unilab buys Pascual Lab generics unit". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  9. ↑ Enriquez, Marge (October 13, 2019). "Big Filipino Pharma bets big on natural health products". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Our Story". ulssi.com.ph. UL Skin Sciences. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ "About Us - Mount Grace Hospital, Inc".
  12. ↑ Cahiles-Magkilat, Bernie (April 16, 2021). "Unilab confirmed for COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  13. ↑ Royandoyan, Ramon (September 23, 2020). "Pandemic fortifies Filipinos' splurge on multivitamins". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
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