History

APOGEPHA Arzneimittel GmbH has helped to write Dresden's pharmaceutical history as a traditional pharmaceutical manufacturer. With urological research and product developments dating back to the 19th century, it has also gone down in the history of urology in Dresden. The history of APOGEPHA, characterized by success and change, is a reflection of contemporary German history and an example of committed entrepreneurship.

It all started in a pharmacy

Like many pharmaceutical companies, APOGEPHA also emerged from a pharmacy. In 1882, the pharmacist C. Stephan founded a manufacturing business, which he later merged with the laboratory operations of the Dresden Kronenapotheke to form an independent company.

After several changes of ownership, the Dresden Kronenapotheke, which still exists today, and the manufacturing company parted ways in 1913. Five years later, the manufacturing company, then still operating under the name “C. Stephan: Fabrik für chemisch-pharmazeutische Produkte”, moved into the new production facilities in Dresden Striesen, which are still the company's headquarters today.

The bleak economic situation after the end of the First World War and the advancing inflation forced the company to found a stock corporation (1921).

During this time, Leowerke and Ottomar von Mayenburg, the inventor of Chlorodont toothpaste, joined the management of the company. A few years later, Leowerke took over 100 percent of the company. In 1931, Leowerke sold the pharmaceutical company to the Sächsische Apothekergenossenschaft (Saxon Pharmacists' Cooperative), which wanted to establish its own pharmaceutical production on a larger scale. But only a short time later, the economic situation forced the pharmacists to go into liquidation.

APOGEPHA owes its current name to this period; the company had been trading under the name “APOGEPHA” since 1931. It is derived from the company name at the time: “Apothekergenossenschaft für Herstellung und Vertrieb pharmazeutischer Präparate C. Stephan e. G. m. b. H.”.

[Translate to English:] Die Dresdner Kronenapotheke 1908

Courageous new start

When the still young APOGEPHA was threatened with economic collapse in 1933, the then plant manager Dr. Johannes Starke - together with the Leipzig businessman Max Biering - decided to buy the company out of liquidation and continue to run it. A very courageous decision at the time, which ensured the continued existence and further development of the company.

The years of economic upturn were followed by the almost complete destruction of APOGEPHA in 1945. On the night of February 13-14, 1945, 90 percent of the buildings on Kyffhäuserstraße were destroyed. Thanks to the personal commitment of Dr. Johannes Starke and his employees, who immediately began to rebuild the company, and the clever stockpiling policy of the company management, APOGEPHA was the first pharmaceutical company in Dresden to be able to supply medicines again just a few days after the attacks. The city's pharmacies and hospitals were supplied with the most important medicines in so-called standard packages.

[Translate to English:] Der Firmensitz der APOGEPHA in Dresden Striesen in den 1930er Jahren

The years after the war were also a test of survival for APOGEPHA. The pharmaceutical program and the supply of raw materials were drastically restricted, and so the company spent many a day trembling for the required minimum turnover. During this time, Dr. Johannes Starke made increased efforts to obtain contract orders and began to introduce chemical synthesis into the business.

However, the developing private industry was a thorn in the side of the party. “Temporary expropriation” followed in 1953. A suitable reason was sought and finally found in a weeks-long company audit. Dr. Johannes Starke was expelled from the company and a trustee was appointed. In the face of growing political pressure, all restrictive measures were withdrawn on June 9, 1953. During the weeks of trusteeship, the company had suffered some damage. The trustee had dismissed around a third of the workforce and the company's bank account had been almost completely emptied.

[Translate to English:] Produktionsraum in den 1950er Jahren

Dr. Johannes Starke

After studying pharmacy and obtaining his license to practice as a pharmacist as well as completing the chemist's association examination and doctorate, Dr. Johannes Starke joined Leo-Werke on 1 October 1928 at the age of 32 and shortly afterwards took over the technical management of “Department C. Stephan” department. He retained this position even after the company was transferred to the pharmacists' cooperative. As managing general partner, he managed Apogepha until his death in 1968.

APOGEPHA as a semi-public company

In April 1960, APOGEPHA became a “company with state participation” (BSB) with the signing of the articles of association and henceforth operated under the name “BSB Apogepha Fabrik chemisch-pharmazeutischer Präparate Dr. Starke KG”. The state shareholder was initially the Deutsche Investitionsbank, later the VEB Arzneimittelwerk Dresden (AWD).

In the following years, there was an enormous increase in production, not least due to the development of foreign business. During this time, Dr. Johannes Starke endeavoured to do justice to this growth by renewing and expanding the company's material and technical equipment. He fought for urgently needed investments with great personal commitment.

On January 1, 1967, the semi-state-owned APOGEPHA merged with BSB Dr. Kirch in Dresden-Weißig. The merger offered advantages for both companies. The main aim was to eliminate the spatial constraints that were hampering the further development of the company - particularly in the area of research, development and production of new pharmaceutical preparations.

After the death of Dr. Johannes Starke in 1968, his son Dr. Christian Starke took over the management of the company. This was by no means a matter of course for the situation at the time, as generational changes were often used to nationalize companies.

Enforced voluntariness

In 1972, the expropriation of the previously semi-state-owned company finally took place and APOGEPHA became a VEB (state-owned enterprise). Under economic and political pressure, Dr. Christian Starke made a “voluntary declaration” on April 3, 1972 to sell APOGEPHA to the state. He initially also took over the management of VEB Apogepha.

On July 1, 1974, VEB Apogepha was merged with VEB Pharmaka, a company that had previously emerged from the merger of smaller expropriated pharmaceutical companies.

The management of this company was taken over by the former plant manager of VEB Pharmaka. Dr. Christian Starke relinquished his position as he was not prepared to make any political compromises. From then on, he was in charge of research at VEB Apogepha.

APOGEPHA reached the low point of its company history when it was assigned to the Sächsisches Serumwerk Dresden in 1983. The company completely lost its economic and legal existence.

On August 16, 1990, more than 7 years after its incorporation into the VEB Sächsisches Serumwerk in 1983, APOGEPHA reappeared as an independent company in the commercial register of the city of Dresden. This new beginning ended a period of 60 years in which APOGEPHA had to operate as a semi-state or state-owned company.

It coincided with the collapse of the GDR, the peaceful revolution in 1989 and finally reunification, and ended with the reprivatization of APOGEPHA in February 1991, the 30th anniversary of which we celebrated in 2021.

All these periods have a lot in common, and they have a lot in common: the “New Beginning” exhibition provides an outline of the history of this new beginning and the development of APOGEPHA since 1990.

Dresden, January 2021

To the virtual exhibition tour (german)

Impressions of the exhibition “New Beginning” by APOGEPHA.

Using the mouse button, you can move, pan and zoom through the exhibition in 360° mode. Clicking on one of the numbered points will take you to the next exhibition panel.

“The miracle of the turnaround”

[Translate to English:] Der heutige Firmensitz der APOGEPHA in Dresden Striesen

Dr. Christian Starke signed the reprivatization agreement with the Treuhand on 12 February 1991. APOGEPHA was thus one of the first pharmaceutical companies in the new federal states to be reprivatized.

Hardly any other time in APOGEPHA's history was as fast-moving and characterized by change as this one: Reprivatization and the establishment of a legally independent company, the development of an infrastructure and the creation of the conditions for the continued marketability of the products, the establishment of a sales department, new production facilities and much more - all of this had to be done practically simultaneously.

In 1996, the company was able to inaugurate its own newly built production facility in Dresden-Lockwitz.

The path to the 21st century

With the transfer of the shareholder shares in 2011, APOGEPHA is now in its third generation of family ownership. Since 2015, the Starke family has steered the fortunes of the company through a controlling advisory board.

In addition to in-house development, licensing is an important pillar for expanding the product portfolio. APOGEPHA cooperates with a number of large, internationally active pharmaceutical companies in the marketing of urological products.

In recent years, a large partner network has been built up as part of the internationalization process. APOGEPHA's products are marketed in more than 20 countries.

In 2019, APOGEPHA parted ways with its own pharmaceutical production, which had been a core competence of the company for many years. Health policy developments and increasing cost pressure in particular led to this decision. Since then, APOGEPHA products have been manufactured in the usual high quality by renowned contract manufacturers in Germany and Europe.

With this decision, APOGEPHA underwent a strategic realignment and the company is now focusing on the development, in-licensing and marketing of urological drugs.

Today, APOGEPHA is a recognized pharmaceutical company in the therapeutic area of urology. APOGEPHA Arzneimittel GmbH sees its core competence in the development and distribution of urological medicinal products, also beyond the borders of Germany.

Our chronicle

1882	Founded by the pharmacist C. Stephan
1933	Continuation by Dr. Johannes Starke and Max Biering under the name APOGEPHA
1945	90 percent destruction. Extended reconstruction in the following period. Inclusion of chemical synthesis in business operations
1953	Temporary expropriation
1960	State participation taken up
1968	Dr. Johannes Starke dies. Continuation of the business under the management of Dr. Christian Starke
1972	Expropriation and transfer to VEB Apogepha
1974	Dr. Christian Starke takes over the management of research at VEB Apogepha
1983	Dissolution of VEB Apogepha through incorporation into VEB Sächsisches Serumwerk Dresden
1991	Reprivatization by Dr. Christian Starke
2011	Transfer of shareholder shares to the third generation
2016	Doubling of the sales staff
2017	Expansion of international activities to China, Canada and Spain