The interview of Şerhan Şimşek, our CEO of CT Pharma Research, published in the Economist magazine;
• First of all, can we get to know you a little bit?
After graduating from the Department of Biology at 19 Mayıs University in 1996, I completed the Molecular Biology Master's program in 1999 and the Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Doctorate Program at Marmara University Faculty of Pharmacy in 2007. In parallel with my academic career, after working uninterruptedly in the R&D departments of domestic and foreign companies from 1996 to 2012, I founded CT Pharma Research in 2012 with my wife, who has also worked in various positions in the pharmaceutical industry since 2000.
• Can we briefly introduce CT Pharma Research, a company that was established in 2012, despite being a young company, it has accomplished many successful projects?
Although CT Pharma Research is a young company, its founders have more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
It was established in 2012 at Tübitak Martek Technopark by Şerhan Şimşek who’s worked professionally in the R&D and Chem. Eng. Semra Aktaş Şimşek who’s worked professionally in the R&D and Regulatory departments of domestic and foreign companies in the pharmaceutical industry. In the senior management of CT Pharma Research, Pharmaceutical Biotechnologist Şerhan Şimşek, PhD is the CEO and Chem. Eng. Semra Aktaş Şimşek is the Scientific Division Director.
CT Farma develops turnkey R&D projects for domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies. Its product development portfolio covers the fields of human drugs, peptides, nutritional supplements and cosmeceuticals. The importance we attach to industrial property rights and data security in the projects of the companies we provide development services has become a value we add to the sector, and for this reason, we have become a sought-after and trusted company in the development of R&D projects.
• We have learned that not only drugs but also food supplements are very important during this pandemic process we are experiencing. You are also working in this field with TFLL Pharma. What would you like to say about this?
We started to develop projects for our own company long before this pandemic process. In order to carry out the licensing, sales and marketing activities of these projects, we established a new company called TFLL Pharma in 2017. In the same year, the establishment of another independent company in Belgium under the name TFLL Pharma Belgium BVBA has been an important part of our project to expand abroad, which we have been considering for a long time.
Our slogan “We cannot stop thinking about the future” was actually pointing to what would happen today in 2017.
Making a difference in the field of food supplements has been our biggest goal. The products we have developed are products based on strengthening the immune system and increasing the quality of life with a functional perspective. Our food supplements, which we have developed especially with the logic of drug development, are distinguished from their counterparts as soon as they are released on the market, with their high bioavailability and patent-protected combinations and dosage forms.
The quality of the products has been registered both in Turkey and in Belgium by obtaining legal permits.
• As CT Pharma Research, can you tell us about your goals for your studies abroad?
Marketing the Know-How, we developed in Turkey abroad created a channel for us, and then we had the opportunity to access other international markets with the contract agreements we signed for the production of our food supplements in Belgium. In addition to our medicines whose licensing processes are continuing at the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, contract agreements have been signed for the manufacture of the medicines whose know-how we have developed in Turkey, in Belgium, and drug license applications will be made to the Belgian Health Authority in the near future. We plan to further increase our effectiveness in international markets with these activities in the fields of both pharmaceuticals and food supplements.
• Do you consider the investments made in terms of R&D in the pharmaceutical field or the support provided sufficient?
As CT Pharma Research, we have successfully completed two 1507 TUBITAK TEYDEP projects. The support given to us while carrying out these projects was invaluable. Increasing these will of course be important for the sector and especially for R&D projects.
The most important information that the pandemic has taught us is that foreign dependency is not only a commercial risk, but also has the potential to create a sometimes-vital problem for the people of the country.
