Renata : Sixteenth Issue of our Bi-yearly HR Newsletter

I S S U E

16

J A N 2 0 2 3

HR JOURNAL

BI- YEARLY Renata Insight

P E O P L E & C O M M U N I C A T I O N

In This issue

USFDA Accreditation for Rajendrapur General Facility P.1

Life @ Renata P.2

Handle Antibiotics with Care P.3

Enter National to International P.4

Renata Limited has been acknowledged by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) for "ICMAB Best Corporate Award 2021" for its remarkable performance. The company secured Silver Award in the

Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Category. Mr. Khokan Chandra Das FCA, General Manager, Finance, received the award on behalf of Renata Limited from Mr. Tipu Munshi, Honorable Minister, Ministry

of Commerce, Government of the

People's Republic of Bangladesh at the InterContinental Dhaka on December 1, 2022.

The corporate entities received the ICMAB laurels in 17 categories. Since 2007, the award was introduced as a noble initiative to recognize the invaluable contribution made by the corporate entities in Bangladesh's different sectors and encourage increased competitiveness among the enterprises for better efficiency. Renata Limited has received this award for the eighth time in the last nine years between 2013-2021.

Mr. Md. Tanjim Ferdous, Manager, Quality Assurance, QAD IV

Let's hear the news from Rajendrapur General Facility where we want to share the story of the amazing achievement earned through passion, commitment and dedication.

The journey of achieving global accreditation by Rajendrapur General Facility started back in 2017. The first accreditation was awarded by Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, UK (MHRA) along with Mirpur Potent Product Facility (PPF). By achieving this prestigious MHRA approval it has opened up UK and EU markets for export of pharmaceutical products.

In the year 2022, United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has given approval to Rajendrapur General Facility. This enviable and advantageous achievement was possible because of the commitment and dedication shown by the young quality assurance team of Renata Limited,

Renata Limited is a firm believer of women empowerment. We have been supporting this cause with great enthusiasm for a long time.

Renata Limited feels proud to have supported Bangladesh's great woman mountaineer Ms. Wasfia Nazreen.

On March 26, 2012, Ms. Wasfia Nazreen reached the summit of Mount Everest, the youngest person from Bangladesh and the first one-woman team from our country to ever do so. Renata continued to support her in her quest to be the first Bangladeshi to climb the Seven Summits.

In 2015, Ms. Nazreen became the first Bangladeshi to scale all the seven summits. Earlier, Renata supported her expeditions to Mount Elbrus and Everest. Carstenz Pyramid, the final climb of her seven summits expedition was also sponsored by Renata.

In 2022, Ms. Wasfia Nazreen became the first Bangladeshi to scale Pakistan's notorious K2 summit. At 8,611 meters (28,251 ft), K2 Summit is the second highest mountain peak of the world. As in the previous expeditions, Renata Limited has been a proud sponsor of her journey once again.

which was guided by Mr. Md. Nezab Uddin, Head of Quality Assurance Division III & IV and undeniable support from the International Regulatory Affairs Division guided by Mr. Chowdhury Zaki Ibne Farid, General Manager, International Regulatory Affairs. We have a brilliant team comprising of Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Production, Engineering, Human Resource, Supply Chain, International regulatory affairs including R&D (Analytical and Formulation), all of whom have given their best effort to achieve this success through continual improvements.

As Renata receives US-FDA approval it literally opens up a big window for our global business development. US-FDA is, as some say, the king of all stringent regulatory authority (SRA) approvals for pharmaceutical industry. Not only it has opened up our business prospect in US market but also in North America, South America and many other markets where with US-FDA approval, a simple desk audit will enable us to get that country specific GMP approval.

So, all we can say Renata has conquered the major global GMP approvals of pharmaceutical medicinal products which brought Renata Limited to the doorstep of unlimited opportunities to export high quality medicine products with huge volume to many countries of the world. This will surely boost up the

international business to a great extent as well as the local market for Renata Limited. The recognition will play a big role in further accelerating export of drugs made in Bangladesh, the country which posted export earnings of $183 million from pharmaceuticals shipment in the 2021-22 fiscal year, more than twice the overall receipts of $89 million five years ago.

Renata has managed the year 2022 well despite the global economic crisis. The overall expansion of our Kashor & Habirbari Sites and sales operations have enabled us to experience a steady performance. With the contribution of both new and experienced teams Renata is marching forward. Our Rajendrapur General Facility has achieved approval from US Food & Drug Administration (USFDA), Rajendrapur Potent Product Facility has achieved approval from WHO (Geneva), ICMAB awarded the Best corporate Award for the eighth time in last nine years, continuous expansion into foreign markets with a view to establish Renata globally, etc. are some of the notable accomplishments. In 2022 Our Product 'Rolac' has entered the Tk100 Crore Club after Maxpro & Algin. We have also entered in the Inhaler market with new products. These are all a part of the robust growth that we are blessed to be a part of in such exciting times.

Our dynamic joint efforts consisting of a combination of employees from all the sectors have allowed the company to move forward through thick and thin with a supportive and dynamic Management at the helm.

We are hoping 2023 will be a year with new challenges and plenty of opportunities to take advantage of, such as, in terms of

business development, product development and strengthening talent pool among other things. We are hopeful that this will be a more productive year for Renata.

Wish you a wonderful year 2023 ahead!

Renata strengthened manpower in the second half of 2022. (Jul 2022- Dec 2022)

Area of Operation	No's
Pharma Sales	387
Animal Health	34
Manufacturing	51
Quality Assurance	114
R & D	14
Project	07
Marketing	05
Operations	19
Distribution	04

Employee's wellbeing is one of the major priorities of Renata Limited. The wellbeing of people's health falls into risk for so many causes. Breast cancer is one of them and as October was the Breast Cancer Awareness month, Renata arranged an interactive session on Breast Cancer Awareness. Female gender is most susceptible to breast cancer, followed by men 0.5-1%. If breast cancer is found in early stage, then there are more treatment options and a better chance for survival. The session was facilitated by Prof (Dr) Zafor Md Masud (MBBS, MPhil, FCPS); Medical Oncology Fellow (Singapore), Professor & Head of Oncology, Bangladesh Medical College Hospital. Dr. Masud conducted a very interactive and lively session that included useful information on Breast Cancer Awareness. He reminded us that "Early Detection Saves Lives". Stay Aware, Stay Safe.

Renata Limited is constantly harnessing its employees' individual personalities, goals, needs and abilities to build a successful and intuitive working environment. Aligned with that perspective, Renata HRD has successfully completed a leadership development program for the Animal Health Field Force Department named "FLDP-AHD - Future Leadership Development program for Animal Health Division". A series of program has been conducted round the year to developing the selected employees and make them ready for the future leadership role. Human Resources and Animal Health Divisions of Renata Limited have jointly conducted this Skill Development Program.

One of the objectives of the Health, Safety and Environment policy of Renata Limited is to prevent injuries and fatalities of all Renata employees and onsite contractors. For that purpose, Health, Safety and Environment department is constantly providing training program to ensure a safer workplace. Through all these training and awareness, employees are able to apply the workplace safety knowledge. Health, Safety and Environment department is also working actively to protect the adverse effect on air, water, soil, natural resources and human health by meeting all the Environmental, Health and Safety standards.

Renata Limited observed World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2022, at its Corporate Headquarters. Various engaging activities were arranged for the employees to commemorate the day. These activities were especially designed keeping in mind how they help combat the anxiety and stress of our lives. These creative therapeutic activities and meditation help to release the brain's happy chemicals and revive mental health. In addition, as a part of the day long program, Renata Limited Facebook Page went live with a discussion program with expert guest speakers on the importance of prioritizing mental health.

Mr. Arif Mohammad Saleh, Senior Assistant Manager, QAD I

Antibiotics are medicines that treat infections and diseases caused by bacteria. Antibiotics damage bacteria so the body's immune system can fight them but they do not work against viruses.

Sometimes, the term antibiotic-literally "opposing life", from the Greek root's anti, "against" and bios, "life"-is broadly used to refer to any substance used against microbes, but in the usual medical usage, antibiotics (such as penicillin) are those produced naturally (by one microorganism fighting another), whereas non-antibiotic antibacterial (such as sulfonamides and antiseptics) are fully synthetic. However, both classes have the same goal of killing or preventing the growth of microorganisms, and both are included in antimicrobial chemotherapy. "Antibacterial" include antiseptic drugs, antibacterial soaps and chemical disinfectants, whereas antibiotics are an important class of antibacterials used more specifically in medicine and sometimes in livestock feed.

Some of us assume that, antibiotic use starts after the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming but interesting fact is that, antibiotics have been used since ancient times. Many civilizations used topical application of moldy bread, with many references to its beneficial effects arising from ancient Egypt, Nubia, China, Serbia, Greece, and Rome. The first person to directly document the use of molds to treat infections was John Parkinson (1567-1650). Antibiotics revolutionized medicine in the 20th century. Sir Alexander Fleming (1881-1955) discovered modern day penicillin in 1928, the widespread use of which proved significantly beneficial during wartime. However, the effectiveness and easy access to antibiotics have also led to their overuse and some bacteria have evolved resistance to them. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified antimicrobial resistance as a widespread "serious threat and is no longer a prediction for the future, it is happening right now in every region of the world and has the potential to affect anyone, of any age, in any country".

Antibiotic consumption varies widely between countries. The WHO report on surveillance of antibiotic consumption' published few years ago was based on the analyzed 2015 data from 65 countries measured in defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day. Of the 65 nations Mongolia had the highest consumption rate. Most frequently consumed items are Amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.

Now a days, many antibiotics are less effective than they once were due to them being used so often and bacteria becoming resistant to their effects. This is called antibiotic resistance. Antibiotics should only be used if they are needed to treat a bacterial infection. Different antibiotics work against different bacteria. Sometimes, doctors choose an antibiotic based on what they believe will work. At other times, doctors will perform tests to work out which bacteria are causing the infection and which antibiotics are likely to be effective against them (Culture test).

Many bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. Sometimes the bacteria change to protect themselves against the antibiotic. When this happens the antibiotic no longer works. This is called antibiotic resistance and is a serious global problem. The more bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, the more chances they have to change and become resistant. If you use antibiotics when they're not needed or don't take antibiotics properly, such as missing doses or not completing the course - you give bacteria opportunities to become resistant. If an antibiotic no longer works against the resistant bacteria:

• Infections take longer to heal
• Infections can get worse and lead to more serious problems
• Infections are more likely to spread to other people. Because bacteria are resistant, the antibiotic may not work for other people, further spreading the problem

Sometimes it is possible to use another antibiotic to which bacteria aren't resistant. However, it may not work as well and it could have side effects. Also, bacteria may eventually become resistant to this antibiotic too.

For these reasons, antibiotic resistance is a major threat to human health. There is concern that in time, there will be bacterial infections that just cannot be treated. As per The ICU Book "The first rule of antibiotics is to try not to use them and the second rule is try not to use too many of them''.

Self-prescribing of antibiotics is an example of misuse. Many antibiotics are frequently prescribed to treat symptoms or diseases that do not respond to antibiotics or that are likely to resolve without treatment. Also, incorrect or suboptimal antibiotics are prescribed for certain bacterial infections. The overuse of antibiotics, like penicillin and erythromycin, has been associated with emerging antibiotic resistance since the 1950s. Widespread usage of antibiotics in hospitals has also been associated with increases in bacterial strains and species that no longer respond to treatment with the most common antibiotics. Another Common form of antibiotic misuse include excessive use of prophylactic antibiotics in travelers and failure of medical professionals to prescribe the correct dosage of antibiotics on the basis of the patient's weight and history of prior use. Other forms of misuse include failure to take the entire prescribed course of the antibiotic, incorrect dosage and administration, or failure to rest for sufficient recovery. Inappropriate antibiotic treatment, for example, is the prescription to treat viral infections such as the common cold. The lack of rapid point of care diagnostic tests, particularly in resource-limited settings is considered one of the drivers of antibiotic misuse.

'Superbugs' are bacteria that are difficult to treat because they are resistant to different antibiotics and especially those that treat other resistant bacteria. Superbugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multi-drug-resistant strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) are becoming more common and can be a real problem in hospitals.

AWaRe classification is a method to classify all antibiotics adopted by the World Health Organization in 2019. As per the AWaRe (Access, Watch and Reserve) classification, antibiotics are classified into three groups: "Access Group" used for a wide range of primary level infection, "Watch Group" used against higher resistance bacteria, and "Reserve Group" only to be used when all alternatives fail.

Antibiotic resistance can't be totally stopped, but it can be slowed down by sensibly using antibiotics. You can help by:

• Not taking antibiotics for a cold or the flu, including cough and sore throat; viruses cause most colds and antibiotics don't work against viruses
• Taking your antibiotic as prescribed and completing the full course, even if you

start to feel better

• Never saving antibiotics for the next time you're sick
• Never taking antibiotics prescribed for someone else
• Having good hygiene practices to avoid spreading infections

In Bangladesh, around 67 percent of medicine retailers do not have knowledge of antimicrobial drugs and they cannot identify the antibiotics, finds a study by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA). For this reason, DGDA has instructed labeling of all antimicrobials (antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals) marked with red color and the word "Antibiotics".

Source: www.healthdirect.gov.au, en.wikipedia.org, www.thedailystar.net,

www.who.int, www.medicalnewstoday.com

Renata enters into the Inhaler market with the mostly trusted Salmeterol/Fluticasone preparation as Saltica & Salbutamol preparations as Salburen. Saltica is launched in both MDI (metered dose inhaler) & DPI (dry powder inhaler) form. The strengths are Saltica HFA 25/125 mcg, Saltica HFA 25/250 mcg, Saltica HFA 25/250 mcg Refill, Saltica Renacap 50/250 mcg & Saltica Renacap 50/500 mcg. DPI device is also launched as Renahaler. Salburen HFA 100 mcg & Salburen HFA 100 mcg Refill are also available. Salburen-I HFA 100/20 mcg & Salburen-I HFA 100/20 mcg Refill are the Salbutamol/Ipratropium combination which are also launched along with plain Salbutamol.

Throughout the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 we

held two quizzes, out of which one was the

Daily Quiz and the other was the Mega Quiz.

For the Daily Quiz over 600 employees

participated every day and for the Mega Quiz,

almost 1100 employees casted their prediction

for the world cup winner.

Among those employees who predicted the

right winner of the final game, 4 winners have

been chosen through lottery and was

presented with world cup themed gifts.

The name "Rolac" does not only represent a brand but also one of the key examples of Renata's success story. Rolac or the generic Ketorolac is a non-steroidalanti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which is a therapeutic class of medication widely prescribed in Bangladesh. With a high frequency of short-term use, comes the need for high quality and efficacy. And that is what makes Rolac the giant of a brand that it is now. As a result, in the passing year of 2022, Rolac became the first 100 crore painkiller in Bangladesh and joined the 100 crore club as the 3rd member of Renata brands.

The reliability of Rolac to treat short-term and postoperative pain is undoubtedly known among Doctors and Patients. Furthermore, to reduce the inconvenience of the patients, Rolac comes in different formulations other than just Oral Tablets, such as Mouth Dispersible Tablets, Ampoules of different strengths for parenteral administration and the recent exciting launch of Rolac NS, the highly opportune Ketorolac nasal spray. Such success of the brand "Rolac" points to the growth of Renata as a company and paves way for other brands in upcoming years.

A guy goes in for a job interview and sits down with the boss.

The boss asks him, "What do you think is your worst quality?"

The man says "I'm probably too honest."

The boss says, "That's not a bad thing, I think being honest is a good quality."

The man replies, "I don't care about what you think!"

Mr. Shams-Ud-Dowla, Senior Business Development Associate, IBD

Over the period of last 10 years, the pharmaceutical industry of Bangladesh has taken an upward route towards globalization. The paradigm of this journey has taken a lot of people by surprise, but Bangladesh has shown through its determination and continuous development of technology and human resources that we are here to stay.

The journey however is not as easy as one would postulate. Let's take an example of driving through mountains. We have always seen that the mountain rides are different to that of a plain one. As it requires from choosing the different and accurate set of tires to very well understanding of the gear. The driver also needs to know the twisted turns and the tricky slopes. One slight mistake and you are going to fall 1000 feet down. But before you know how to drive in mountains, you need to know everything about how to drive in the plain land.

Take us, Renata limited for an example, over the period of last decade, we have crawled ourselves up in the top 4 spot (Like Arsenal, in case anyone wants to make a joke out of it). We have built brands over this period of time and established ourselves as a pioneer of Reproductive healthcare products. Once we came into the understanding of the local market and how to play here, we thought to look outside. Saw a massive mountain out there, which is stiff and challenging, but once we can go up there, people will realize what we have achieved. I can now relate how we have actually strategized our branding around the great Wasfia Nazreen. Hopefully we can say at one point, "we gave you a hint, you didn't realize".

The secret to becoming a global company is to have a strong base in the local market. Bangladesh is one of the most unique markets in the world to consider our base. The challenges in international expansion comes with preparation of facilities, getting them audited by Stringent Regulatory Authorities (Oh wait, we actually received US FDA, TGA, WHO PQ approval in one single year !!), prepare good dossiers which require proper documentation, filing them in market and then…the waiting game. The minimum registration time is 6 months to even 4 years in some markets. Crazy!! By the time we are thinking to launch a molecule, may be the market demand is OVER! So everything a company does to establish itself in a certain market, has to be super calculative. Also, contrasting the local industry, the competition is against the global giants. We cannot apply the same theory or technique of one market in the other one. On top of that, the strategies for each set of market needs to be properly fixed and described across the company. For example, are we going to act as a CMO (Contract manufacturing Organization)? Or are we going to be a B2B company? These are very important and needs early attention rather than at a time when the company is already in the racing track and then we decide to change the tire of the car.

The smoothness of the international business will depend on the sleekness of the national market. Each of these two business segments should work as one business unit, rather than being sought as a separate one. That is why Entering National market and International Market both are crucial for the success of a future global company.

Mr. Mohammed Badsha Meah, Computer Operator, Chattogram Depot

On the 1st day of February 2013 a 26-year-old expatriate joins Renata Limited, a renowned medicine company of the country, as a casual employee through an acquaintance just to survive. The journey that started at Chattogram Depot is ongoing till today.

The goal of survival gradually became the only vehicle for his life and livelihood. With the flow of time, he moves forward by adapting itself to the busyness of the corporate world. Renata Limited once became his family, an integral part.

The 26 years old expatriate is none other than me. After joining Renata Limited in 2013, gradually the casual tag was removed from the side of the name and officer was added. Here I learned to work responsibly by applying honesty, diligence and self-acquired skills.

Learned to give my best even under pressure. Here I have some wonderful people as superiors, with whom I have had the unique privilege of working. Not to mention one person separately. He is our depot head.

The more successful he is, the more modest he is and this eternal truth has been profoundly realized by virtue of working at Renata Limited.

Success comes with 100% dedication and honesty, I can definitely say this as an employee working in the distribution department of Renata Limited. Writing is my second nature. I have succeeded in working on my emotional space with a bit of free time in spite of being so busy. It is only because of the wonderful work environment of our company that it is possible to hold the position as a writer in the leading publication of the country.

Renata Limited is a huge ship, where thousands of sailors like me are using tireless work as a tool to cross the corporate sea!

Let this ship move forward to its desired goal, this is the wish of all of us at the beginning of the New Year!

Editorial Committee:	Corporate Headquarters
Ms. Nisbat Anwar, General Manager, Human Resources	Plot # 1, Milk Vita Road,
Section # 7, Mirpur,
Mr. Anupom Chowdhury, Senior Deputy Manager-HR
Dhaka- 1216
	Bangladesh
	www.renata-ltd.com
	Follow us @ www.facebook.com/RenataLimited