History – from LOBA Feinchemie GmbH towards Loba biotech GmbH
Today, Loba biotech GmbH is a subsidiary of pharmaand GmbH and part of the pharma& group to support the product manufacturing and active pharmaceutical ingredient production for Pegasys® (peginterferon alfa-2a). Below are the details about the journey.
“With Loba biotech, we have brought a producer of high-quality pharmaceutical active ingredients into our family of companies, supplying the whole world from Austria.”
In 1814, a calico factory and spinning mill was built by Joseph Fehr on the site of today’s Loba biotech GmbH, formerly LOBA Feinchemie GmbH. It was the forerunner of the later Schindler spinning mill and later G.&A woolen goods factory Jubb from 1880.
The industrial facility was created from old mill buildings through conversions, additions and new buildings and today still includes the Kotzenwalke (disused) that was already in operation in earlier centuries and the site including the hydroelectric power of the former “Tabormühle”, whose name already has been changed Appears in 1760 and during this time it was transferred from the property of the Teutonic Order to that of the rulers.
Part of the weaving mill was built in 1880, and further additions were made in later years. At the time, the textile company was run by an Englishman named “Jubb” together with the Brno textile industrialist Löw-Beer.The business became the property of the Löw-Beer family in 1885.
Before the Second World War, the Fischamend factory was a full-scale textile factory (full cloth factory) with a complete spinning, weaving (approx. 150 mechanical looms), finishing, dyeing and sewing department. In total, the factory provided work for around 500 people.
In 1944, part of the buildings were destroyed by bombs as a result of war, and in 1945, a large part of the building was set on fire by the retreating German troops, which destroyed almost the entire business.
In the years that followed, reconstruction took place so that normal operations could be resumed with a weaving mill, as well as preparation and sewing.
In 1954, the company again suffered major damage from the extraordinary flood, as it did in 1991 and 2002. This danger has been averted thanks to the flood protection built in Fischamend in September 2010.
In 1957, today’s LOBA Feinchemie was founded by Dr. Paul Löw-Beer and in the following years several new halls were built on the factory site (the textile business was discontinued in 1971).
“With Loba biotech, we have brought a producer of high-quality pharmaceutical active ingredients into our family of companies, supplying the whole world from Austria.”
In 1990 the company was taken over by the British chemical company MTM until the then managing director Dr. Wolfgang Meindl took over the business through a management buyout and sold it to the Indian company Shilpa Medicare Ltd in 2008.
Dr. Walter Erber took over the responsibility of LOBA Feinchemie GmbH in April 2016. With the strategic vision, to transform LOBA into a high-tech biopharmaceutical company, Dr Walter Erber has set with his facilitation to sell LOBA Feinchemie GmbH to pharma@, a major milestone in the development this company.
On the 19th of April 2021 pharma& announced that a share purchase agreement with Zatortia Holdings Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus (subsidiary of Shilpa Medicare Ltd., India) has been entered to acquire 100% of shares of LOBA Feinchemie GmbH, Fischamend, Austria. This acquisition enables pharma& to vertically integrate a high-quality active pharmaceuticals ingredient producer in order to secure long-term supply of its highly niche specialty care medicines.
With effect from July 1, 2023, the name “LOBA Feinchemie GmbH” was changed to “Loba biotech GmbH” in order to underline the new strategic focus also in the name of the company.
Loba biotech GmbH, now a subsidiary of pharma&, will support the product manufacturing and active pharmaceutical ingredient production for Pegasys® (peginterferon alfa-2a).
For 6 years, Dr. Walter Erber had the responsibility as CEO/Managing director for LOBA Feinchemie GmbH and for the past 1.5 years has been acting in a new role as Senior Vice President Biopharmaceuticals (SVP), focusing on the transformation of Loba towards a high-tech company. With Loba´s innovative biotech center in the heart of Europe, Loba biotech GmbH is aiming for a whole new level in the production of high-quality active pharmaceutical ingredients; Pegasys®.