100 Years
of Farmak

Farmak’s story began in Kyiv in 1925, when the city’s first synthetic-medicine plant opened with just 54 employees.

Long before cooling gels or lozenges were popular, the Kyiv plant became a leader in menthol-based remedies for symptomatic relief used across Eastern Europe and Caucasia, supplying them at scale for decades.

Introduced in the 1960s, an original sedative with peppermint and herbal components, became one of the most widely used remedies across all 15 republics of the former USSR. It is even officially recognized for this in Ukraine’s Book of Records.

In the late 1990s, Farmak started producing recombinant human insulin — not only a first for Ukraine, but a breakthrough for the whole Central and Eastern European region where access to modern insulin was limited.

Continuing a decades-old practice, Farmak reinvests over 90% of profits into new products and manufacturing upgrades, an approach that underpins our consistent expansion.

Since the 2010s, over 80% of Farmak’s dossiers are developed fully in-house. Today, the company covers all major therapeutic areas and produces 13 dosage forms — from simple tablets to advanced sterile injectables such as nebules and pre-filled syringes. Farmak has mastered complex generics, and for one of its most popular products, is among only three producers worldwide able to reproduce it.

In the 1950s, Farmak became the only mass producer in the USSR of high-quality X-ray contrast agents. Even today, our MRI and CT contrast media support patients worldwide — from Chile to China. In 2025, Farmak was the only non-Chinese company to win in the country’s national tender.

In the 1970s, Farmak’s medicines were exported to more than 20 countries — including Germany, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Today, this map has expanded to over 60 countries.

During World War II, the Kyiv plant was relocated and rebuilt, a major effort that allowed it to resume production soon after.

Today Farmak’s team reflects its international spirit, 18 nationalities are represented across 13 offices and 3 plants.