Our History
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Intuition, Friendship, and Vision: The Story Behind Our Pharmaceutical Group
Emilio Stefanelli, with the support of his childhood friend and angel investor Antonio Fogli, began his entrepreneurial journey in the pharmaceutical sector. A small company—founded in Ravenna and already a member of Farmindustria (Italian Pharmaceutical Association) —was acquired and, over the years, went on to develop a significant scientific promotion network focused on general practitioners.
The production facility of Istituto Chimico Nazionale Savio in Ronco Scrivia (GE) was acquired, giving the Savio Group its name. Within a few years of the acquisition, a major redevelopment project was launched to expand the site and establish a new department. Today, the facility specializes in Class III medical devices.
The Group acquired a business unit comprising approximately 100 medical science liaisons focused on specialized medicine. Over time, this led to the creation of the I.B.N. Savio division dedicated to medical-scientific information in Italy (Savio Pharma Italia), which has made the quality of medical-scientific information its core mission.
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 sale 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.
A corporate reorganization process was initiated with the aim of enhancing the value and organizational performance of the companies within the SAVIO Group.
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.
Inauguration of the new Research & Development laboratories in Pavia, to support innovation and product development.
In response to the pandemic, we promptly strengthened our existing remote medical scientific information system to better support healthcare professionals, ensuring more comprehensive and efficient access to information.
Today, this remote medical scientific information network remains fully operational within the Savio Pharma Italia Division, working in synergy with our traditional medical scientific information activities.
A strategic agreement was signed with the multinational ORGANON for the production of a cardiometabolic specialty distributed worldwide. This partnership led to significant investments in IMA machinery and advanced technologies, as well as an approximate 10% increase in workforce.
The partnership with ORGANON has been successfully renewed, alongside and establishment of a new department dedicated to the production of oral solid forms at the Pavia plant. This new facility is expected to become operational in early 2027 and will double the plant's production capacity compared to the time of its acquisition.