Our History
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Intuition, Friendship, and Vision: The Story Behind Our Pharmaceutical Group
Emilio Stefanelli, thanks to the support of his childhood friend and Angel Investor Antonio Fogli, begins his entrepreneurial adventure in the pharmaceutical field almost by chance. Starting with the acquisition of a small commercial pharmaceutical company in Ravenna, he gradually built a significant promotional network focused on general practitioners — laying the foundation for future growth and success.
The acquisition of the historic Istituto Giancarlo Savio plant, dating back to 1925, marked a turning point. Located in Ronco Scrivia (GENOVA), the site was soon revitalized through an ambitious renovation, expanding its surface area and adding a new production department.
With the acquisition of a new business unit, the Group integrated a team of about 100 medical scientific representatives dedicated to specialist medicine.
SAVIO established its corporate headquarters in Pomezia (Rome).
An agreement was reached with GlaxoSmithkline for the Sales Concession of Clavulin”, an oral antibiotic based on amoxicillin/clavulanic acid - a collaboration that continues to this day In the same year, SAVIO acquired the rights for the marketing and production of Decadron (dexamethasone), a powerful corticosteroid, widely used in hospital settings. Notably, in September 2020, EMA (the European Medicines Agency) included dexamethasone among the recommended treatments for patients affected by COVID-19.
SAVIO developed and launched Slowmet, the first extended-release metformin available in Italy. The product rapidly became a reference point in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus.
To strengthen organizational efficiency and unlock greater value across its subsidiaries, the SAVIO Group initiated a corporate reorganization process that culminated in the formal group structure established in 2020.
Following the announcement by the multinational Merck Sharp & Dohme to cease operations at its production site in Pavia, SAVIO decided to acquire the facility, which specializes in the manufacturing of oral solids and liquids and already employed over 100 people. One year after the acquisition, a new department dedicated to the production of oral liquids was established within the plant. In the four years that followed the number of production staff nearly doubled, reflecting the site's strategic growth and renewed vitality.
Opening of the new Research & Development laboratories in Pavia.
In response to the pandemic, to support the medical profession, the previously launched remote medical scientific information system was immediately strengthened, with the aim of ensuring increasingly complete and efficient information. The remote medical scientific information network is still operational within the Savio Pharma Italia Division, in synergy with the traditional medical scientific information line.
An agreement is signed with the multinational ORGANON for the production of a cardiometabolic specialty distributed globally, resulting in significant investments in IMA machinery and technologies and an increase in staff of approximately 10%.
Renewal of the partnership with ORGANON and creation of a new department for the production of oral solids at the Pavia plant, which is expected to become operational in early 2027, doubling the plant's production capacity compared to the time of the acquisition.
Our greatest successes?
We still have to write them