Biography:
Was born on November, 20th, 1972 in Novosibirsk; graduated from the Novosibirsk State university. In 1999 he founded investment company "Profit-House" and actively joined in corporate wars, in particular, in 2001he bought up shares of “Aeroflot” for owners of "Sibneft". In 2003 together with Roman Abramovich and other shareholders of "Sibneft" got pharmaceutical business from the American company ICN and created company "Pharmstandard". In spring, 2007 capitalization of "Pharmstandard" made $2.2 billion by the results of IPO. Last year Haritonin redeemed a share of "Sibneft" and became the largest private shareholder of "Pharmstandard".
Marital status: married, two children
Dossier:
Company "Pharmstandard" supervised by Victor Haritonin was always close to the public, as well as Haritonin himself. For the first time the structure of shareholders of "Pharmstandard" was discovered in the report of Citigroup in 2006. According to the report, 49% of the company for that period belonged to the Chairman of Board of Directors of "Pharmstandard" Victor Haritonin, 21% — to Evgeny Kulkov, 17% — to Roman Abramovich, 6% — head of Millhouse Evgeny Shvidler, 7% — Millhouse Capital Management.
It became known at the market since 2004 that Roman Abramovich's structures had a share in "Pharmstandard". Then company "Profit-House" connected with Millhouse redeemed at ICN five pharmaceutical plants for $55 million; on their base "Pharmstandard" was created. In 2005, according to participants of the market, Victor Haritonin became the supervising shareholder of the company.
Source: Newspaper "Commersant" № 204 (3535), 10/31/2006
According to OAO "Pharmstandard" on the MISE and LSE the Cyprian company Augment Investments Ltd redeemed totally 17,1 % of OAO at Roman Abramovich, Evgeny Shvidler and company Millhouse operating actives of Mr. Abramovich.
According to "SPARK-INTERFAX" since January, 1st, 2008 Augment consolidated all of 56.7 % of OAO "Pharmstandard" (43,3% are in the free sale at stock exchanges). Chief Financial Officer of "Pharmstandard" Elena Arkhangelskaya specified that the Chairman of the Board of Directors of "Pharmstandard" Victor Haritonin owned 70 % of Augment and Egor Kulkov – 30%.
The reason of the transaction, according to experts, was that the basic shareholder of the company Victor Haritonin wanted to be independent.
Source: Newspaper "Commersant" № 51 (3868), 3/28/2008
For the first time company "Pharmstandard" and Victor Haritonin came into the view of the press in connection with the extremely negative case in 2008. It happened in Petersburg where both owners of group of pharmaceutical companies "Genesis" Alexey Khromov and Vladimir Grigoriadi unexpectedly committed suicide. Both tragedies occurred at the period of negotiations which they carried on with Haritonin and his environment concerning sale of a part of their business to "Pharmstandard”. Moreover, there were some assumptions that businessmen made away with themselves under the influence of psychotropic medications which somehow got to their bodies exactly at the period when negotiations "Pharmstandard" took place.
Vladimir Grigoriadi and Alexey Khromov's business consisted of three key directions: manufactures, wholesale deliveries of medicines and retail. According to the official web-site one of the largest pharmaceutical holdings "Genesis" includes three companies: industrial - "Vertex", wholesale - "Genesis" and a network of drugstores "First aid".
Source: «Your privy councilor», 12/8/2008
Soon after the strange suicides a procedure of external supervision in ZAO “Genesis” was started. It happened under the statement of the management of "Genesis" for recognition of the company as the bankrupt.
Besides, Mr.Melenko applied to Economic Crime Department of the police of Krasnogvardeisky district in Petersburg for possible plunder of production of one of the largest Russian pharmaceutical concerns OAO "Pharmstandard". In the application the representative of "Pharmstandard" actually accused "Genesis" of plunder of the medicines made by "Pharmstandard". Under this statement the check was done, even criminal proceeding was brought up but it did not lead to anything concrete.
Source: «Your privy councilor», 12/22/2008
Because of Haritonin’s closeness the first serious extensive article about him appeared only in 2009. It began with the story description when in May, 2008 several employees of Russian company "Pharmstandard" arrived to the Indian state Bihar. They were looking for Sandzhiv Kumar, the owner of pharmaceutical company "Intercare" registered in Russia. Hardly the meeting passed in a friendly way: the firm of the Indian owed 50 million rubles to "Pharmstandard". It is unknown what arguments were used by representatives of the Russian company, however in June OOO "Intercare" together with all property (including the real estate in the centre of Moscow) was transferred to the structures close to the owners of "Pharmstandard". Not only "Pharmstandard” complained for Kumar — in Moscow arbitration court more than hundred claims from banks, pharmaceutical plants and the service companies to "Intercare" are registered; total sum of his debts is about $10 million. However only “Pharmstandard” managed quickly to find runaway businessman in densely populated India who hastily left Russia in March, 2008. How? Sources of journalists hinted in this connection at Victor Haritonin's communications with the high-ranking law enforcement officers.
Speed of decision-making and support from outside authorities — this is the way of running business by the owner of "Pharmstandard" Victor Haritonin. For five years he managed to create the largest Russian pharmaceutical company from a small group of pre-bankrupt enterprises. The holding includes four pharmaceutical plants (capacity 1.3 billion packings of medicines per year) and factory of the medical equipment. Crisis? It looked like "Pharmstandard" did not notice it at all — by results of the first half of 2009 the company revenue was 10 billion roubles (growth for 62%), net profit — 2,6 billion roubles (growth 47%).
Being a student in Novosibirsk Haritonin together with classmate Egor Kulkov was engaged in trade of consumer goods. In 1994 friends moved to Moscow and created broker firm "Profit-House". In 1990 Haritonin got acquainted with pharmaceutical branch. However, then he considered owners of the pharmaceutical enterprises only as potential clients: "Profit-House" bought up shares of factories for company "Time" (later was transformed to «Chemist's chain 36.6») and for holding «Domestic medicines» (now it is called “Valenta”). Soon Haritonin got more serious business.
Having learnt that the American pharmaceutical company ICN wishes to get rid of the Russian business Haritonin suggested Abramovich to repeat the scenario which was carried out in the dairy and meat market: to buy up, re-structure, consolidate and sell much more expensively.
For $55 million "Profit-House" got from ICN five old-fashion pharmaceutical plants located all over the country which at the general annual revenue of $100 million managed to work at a loss, and 96 drugstores ICN. Haritonin started re-structuring of this company uniting pharmaceutical actives — both own and bought for the means of Millhouse — in holding "Pharmstandard". First of all he sold 12-storeyed office building ICN in the centre of Moscow for $15 million. In 2005 approximately for the same sum factory "Marbiopharm" in Ioshkar Ola was sold — it was not necessary to holding, as it specialized on release of vitamins as well as “Ufavita”. Manufacture on plants in St.-Petersburg and Chelyabinsk was stopped, all equipment was transported to Kursk. The drugstores united in a network «03» were sold to distribution company "Protek" which developed on their base the network "Rigla".
Having got rid of unprofitable actives Victor Haritonin began to prepare "Pharmstandard" to IPO in 2006. Within financial boom of last five years period it was a certain way to sell a part of shares of company as profitable as possible and to pay off with Roman Abramovich and other shareholders of "Sibneft" who put up money in creation of "Pharmstandard".
Shortly before IPO “Aresbank” close to owners of “Pharmstandard” began to finance actively distributors encouraging them to buy production of "Pharmstandard".
«Pharmstandard» showed informal relations in the Russian government becoming the largest home producer of insulin. «Pharmstandard» got to ten largest producers of insulin in Russia (brand "Biosulin"). The share of the market of the medication made by holding for the last four years grew up in 10 times — from 0.2 % to 2 %. Insulin of "Pharmstandard" got to Additional Pharmacological Support program — it is purchased for exempts for budget money. «I know exactly that Roman Abramovich personally communicated with Minister of Health Mikhail Zurabov », the former official of Ministry of Health told Forbes.
In September, 2006 "Pharmstandard" bought the company "Masterlek" for $146 million to which owned rights to such medications as "Amiksin", "Flukostat" and, the most important thing, "Arbidol" — the most sold anti-virus medicine in Russia. According to experts, purchase of "Masterlek" became the turning point which defined leadership of "Pharmstandard" in the branch.
Participants of the market with whom Forbes talked name Haritonin as «ingenious and efficient businessman», «Roman Abramovich's worthy pupil». By the way, Abramovich and other managers of "Sibneft" a year later after IPO when stock quotes grew up for 50 % more, sold the shares to Haritonin and Kulkov who received the large company like Abramovich did.
After Roman Abramovich left business state support of "Pharmstandard" did not become weaker. If Abramovich communicated with Minister of Health Zurabov during his stay, then Haritonin communicated already with his successor Tatyana Golikova and her spouse, Minister of Industry Victor Khristenko.
In August 2009, when president Medvedev asked Victor Khristenko whether Russia was able to produce innovative medications and what was the price, he reported: «Pharmstandard» together with company "Lekko" had already founded research centre "Generium" having enclosed 600 million roubles and having promised to enclose 2 billion roubles more. Nothing from the budget. All investments will be paid off then with state purchases. Khristenko and Haritonin are often seen together at conferences and meetings— they can walk under a hand discussing new projects.
The state also helped "Pharmstandard". The main health officer Gennady Onishchenko and head of Roszdravnadzor Nikolay Yurgel in the spring of 2009 advised Russians to escape from a swine flu by taking not import "Tamiflu" and "Relenza" recommended by WHO but domestic "Arbidol" and "Remantadin". And if "Remantadin" is generic can be manufactured by anyone then the right to manufacture "Arbidol" belongs only to "Pharmstandard". And it is despite of the fact that not all scientists were assured of efficiency of "Arbidol" not only against of swine flu, but also against of the usual one.
Recently the commission led by vice-premier Igor Sechin signed the report on deliveries of Russian pharmaceuticals to Cuba. Haritonin was one of the lucky beggars.
Desire of foreign manufacturers to co-operate with “Pharmstandard" also proves the idea that it uses political support. Besides release of its own medicines Haritonin’s holding is engaged also in distribution of another medications. The story which has occurred in May of this year with "Velcade" is illustrative. The Belgian company Janssen-Cilag, the manufacturer of "Velcade", wisely issued the contract with "Pharmstandard" for distribution; «Pharmstandard» applied for participation of "Velcade" in the state tender under the program of purchase of expensive pharmaceuticals for serious diseases treatment. The prize sum — 2.5 billion roubles. Its exact copy, medication "Milanfor"— generic created by the Russian company "Pharmsintez” was the competitor of "Velcade". The price of domestic analogue was 30% lower, but on May, 26th "Milanfor" was removed from competition in connection with «unreliability of the given information». And on May, 28th there was a letter signed by Golikova in which referring to opinion of anonymous experts it was offered to cancel registration of "Milanfor" in connection with unproved clinical efficiency. As of "Pharmstandard" reported the total profit on sale of "Velcade" made 4%, about 100 million roubles.
Now Khristenko's department prepares strategy of development of pharmaceutical branch till 2020. Under officials’ forecast the volume of the Russian market of medicines will reach by this time 1,5 trillion roubles (in 2008 it made only 361 billion roubles). And Russian manufacturers within state support should occupy at least half of this huge market. Now they supervise only 20%. Journalists assumed in advance that exactly "Pharmstandard" will head import substitution process
Source: «Russian Forbes», October 2009
In the autumn of 2009 Moscow Arbitration court canceled the decision of officials on refusal in registration of an oncological medication of the Russian manufacture "Milanfor" which can successfully replace in the internal medicinal market similar but much more expensive import preparation of "Velcade". Exactly in connection with this story journalists paid attention to serious informal contact between Haritonin and Minister of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova.
As the reason of the trial became the conflict of interests of a tandem of Golikova–Haritonin and private Russian firm ZAO "Pharmsintez". It suggested replacing the American "Velcade" (importer – "Pharmstandard") for treatment of oncological diseases for cheap but not less effective "Milanfor" developed and made by "Pharmsintez". The price – 2.5 billion roubles of budgetary funds. Such a sum was given by the government for purchase of medications for treatment of oncological diseases.
On May 28, 2009 the head of Minzdravsotsrazvitie Tatyana Golikova sent the letter to the head of Roszdravnadzor Nikolay Jurgelju with the requirement to cancel registration of "Milanfor". The basis was granting by developers ostensibly doubtful data about the efficiency of preparation.
On May 29, that is it is exactly next day after the ministerial order by the head of Roszdravnadzor. Nikolay Yurgel hastily withdraws his own recent order on registration of a preparation of "Milanfor". And on June, 3 in Ministry of Health there was a meeting; following the results of it officials brought «scientific base» under refusal of registration of new medication. By ministerial calculations, acknowledgement of efficiency of "Milanfor" required to carry out medicine researches within at least 50 patients, and actually only 18 had been involved in the research.
So with one stroke of a ministerial pen less than for a week the competitor of Haritonin’s firm was neutralized and contract granting 2,5 billion roubles to was provided to "friend Victor" .
Meanwhile, by international rules, clinical researches of generic pharmaceuticals are not carried out at all, and the proof of their pharmaceutical equivalence is sufficient for acknowledgment of pharmacological properties. Nevertheless, the developer and the manufacturer of "Milanfor" – the company "Pharmsintez" - under own initiative arranged full-scale clinical researches of the medicine. Recent results unequivocally showed its efficiency.
Head of Ministry of Industry Victor Khristenko is also eager to provide required assistance to the family friend. Participation of the minister in presentation and lobbying of pharmaceutical manufacture in Pokrov one of which proprietors is company "Pharmstandard" provided the enterprise with large state investments. Thus generous officials diligently did not pay attention on such trifle as absence of manufacture on the presented object.
Business of the pharmacist close to a ministerial couple grows up. The size of his gratitude to the governmental patrons can be estimated only approximately. By existing state business concept for state contract reception on exclusive conditions it is necessary to kick-back about 30 percent from its sum. It is possible to estimate how much the ministerial couple of Golikova-Khristenko could be enriched only with this contract. Not less than 750 million roubles.
Source: Vek.ru, 10/5/2009
Is it surprising that astronomical sums from the state budget for manufacture of "Influvir" were received by Haritonin’s close relative Lev Grigoryev? To be more precise, that was FGUP "Microgene", supervised by him; which doesn’t matter in this situation. It is more important to understand which (in money terms) interest was pursued by Mrs. Golikova lobbying the prompt start of manufacture of live flu vaccine on the basis of "Microgene". According to the fact that 4 billion rubles have been already allocated officially for the purchase of LFV, the gratitude of Mr. Grigoryev to "right people» in the government should be estimated with not less than 9-unit figures.
Haste of decision-making really amazes: medication was started to be recommend to application earlier than primary clinical tests ended. The interview published by Newspaper "Tribune" on November, 12th shows bewilderment of doctors in the given occasion in the best way. Answering a question of the correspondent concerning a vaccine made by Grigoryev’s factory the senior scientific employee of Laboratory of researches of new virus infection protections of scientific research institute of flu of Russian Academy of Medical Science Igor Nikonorov did not hide his irritation.
Source: Vek.ru, 11/24/2009
Journalists paid attention also to the fact that by the initiative of Ministry of Health, “Arbidol” was recognized as our answer to swine, bird and to other versions of flu. Even tthough this medicine actually is only a general tonic instead of a vaccine, it was decided to direct a huge share of the branch budget for the purchase. Shamefulness of a situation is that the basic manufacturer of "Arbidol" and the addressee of budgetary investments is company "Pharmstandard" headed by old friend of the family of Golikova-Khristenko — Victor Haritonin. The same story appeared to happen with LFV which was generously financed by Ministry of Health in autumn, despite of preventions of virologists and immunologists of serious by-effects of this medicine. Probably, it is a mere chance but the basic manufacturer of LFV and successful budget money-receiver is the manufacturer of immunology medications FGUP “Microgene" which is headed by Lev Grigoryev married to sister of Haritonin’s spouse l.
Source: igolkin, 1/19/2010