June 23,  Rochem had its Annual Appreciation Dinner at the Renaissance Hotel Pudong during CPHI China week in Shanghai. It was a wonderful and enjoyable evening joined by over 46 leading pharmaceutical, nutritional industry manufacturers from China. Mr. Xiu Laigui, Chairman of Xluzheng Pharm, Mr. Zhang Daiming, Vice President of Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Mr. Fu Qiang, President of Shenzhen Oriental Pharmaceutical Co., and Mr. Dave Zeplin, Senior Process Development Scientist, Novartis Consumer Healthcare were our honored guest speakers for the evening. Each gave a great speech about our strong relationship as partners and the impact that Rochem has been playing in building a bridge for Chinese products to the regulated markets.

June 16-29,  Rochem's team led by the CEO, Ms. Robyn Frisch, joined by the EVP, Mr. Matt Thiel, Vice President of European Market, Mr. Charles Dods, Vice President of Regulatory & Compliance and Business Development, Mr. Marco D'urso, National Sales Director of Pharmaceutical Ingredients, Mr. Steve Farrell, our Vice General Manager of Qingdao Office, Ms. Pauline Yu, Product Sourcing Manager, Mr. Gao Keshan visited many key manufacturers that Rochem has been working with for many years in Beijing, all throughout the Shandong Province, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, as well as new potential partners in Shijiazhuang and Jilin Province. Rochem continues to grow stronger and is prepared for bigger challenges and opportunities both now and in the coming years with its outstanding team.

On May 12, 08,  Mr. Steven Farrell joined ROCHEM as National Sales Director, Pharmaceuticals.  Steve has over twenty years of sales experience in the manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry.  His last two years he has been working for Chemwerth selling Rx APIs to the generic pharmaceutical industry. Steve is excited and looking forward to using Rochem’s strong supply chain in China to focus on our Generic Pharmaceutical market API development
 
In April,  Mr. Marco Durso joined the ROCHEM team. Marco has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for over 13 years. His early career was spent at Bayer Corporation where he led a team of scientists in various areas of QA/QC. Most recently, Marco spent 6 years with Chemwerth Inc. U.S.A. where he was the Sr. V.P. of Global Regulatory Affairs and Compliance. While at Chemwerth, he traveled extensively to China working with many of China’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Marco is committed to insuring that all of ROCHEM’s suppliers maintain the highest level of compliance and continue to provide products of the highest quality. Marco is recognized as an industry leader and one of the global experts in his field for filing regulatory submissions in both North America and Europe.  Marco’s expertise will allow Rochem’s customers to achieve the fastest approval times possible and avoid regulatory obstacles. 

On April 21, 2008, Mr. Zhi Wanmin, the CEO and President of Tianjin Jinjin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd and the sales manager, Mr. Zhang Weimin visited Rochem’s HQ for the very first time after working with Rochem for 6 years.  Tianjin Jinjin Pharmaceutical is the largest manufacture of Hydrocortisone in China.  Mr. Zhi has more confidence in partnering with Rochem for a larger market share of Hydrocortisone in the North American market and supporting Rochem to promote their products in the European market. 
 
On April 4, 2008, Mr. Xiu Laigui, the Chairman of the Board of Xiuzheng Pharmaceutical Group in China, with his Vice President, Mr. Liu Shicai, and Vice President, Mr. Xiu Yuan, visited Rochem and had wonderful meeting. They discussed how to use this Bridge that Rochem has built in bringing Xiuzheng Pharm’s APIs and other pharmaceutical products to the North American and European markets. Xiuzheng Pharmaceutical was established in 1995 and has total assets of RMB3.8 billion with 30,000 employees throughout  the country in China. Xiuzheng Pharm has become the 4th largest pharmaceutical company in 2006. 
 
In 2007 they were the largest company in revenue for Chinese Traditional Medicine in the Pharmaceutical industry.  “Making good medicine with a good heart” is Mr. Xiu and Xiuzheng Pharm’s principle. His book of “Xiuzheng Power” and “Mr. Xiu Laigui and his Xiuzheng Philosophy” have become the must-read management and marketing guide book among many industries in China.

March 2008, Mr. Steve Rivoir, Rochem’s Director of Food & Nutritional Ingredients in North America was invited as a guest speaker by the largest Xylitol manufacturer in China, our partner, Shandong Futian Pharmaceutical Co. and the largest manufacturer of IMO, Na Alginate, and Mannitol in China, Shandong Baolingbao Biotech Co.   Mr. Rivoir gave a speech about the growing trends in pre-biotics and functional fibers and the opportunities that exist in the international markets for producers in China.  This was held during the FIC (Food Ingredients China) convention held in Shanghai.   

January 2008,  Mr. Vincent Romano joined Rochem International as the Director of Operations.  Mr. Romano has a strong background in management having spent time in the electronic and pharmaceutical industries.  Mr. Romano will lead the day to day operations in Rochem’s NY headquarters.

Dec. 2007, Two CEOs from Zhejiang Charioteer Pharm, Co. and Shenzhen Oriental Pharmaceutical Co. and  the VP from Chongqing Carelife Co. visited Rochem and reached agreements for enlarging our existing business relationships and further development of their APIs through the bridge that Rochem has built to the North American and European markets.

Sept. 2007, Robyn Frisch was given the Honorable Citizen Certificate(Key to the City) of Yucheng, by the Mayor of Yucheng.  Yucheng is known within China as Functional Sugar city in the Shandong Province.

Sept. 2007, Pauline Yu(AKA Yu Pinxiang) joined Rochem International’s Qingdao, China office as Vice General Manager.  Pauline has over 8 years expertise in regulatory and compliance with her background working for Apotex, the largest generic/Rx pharmaceutical manufacturer in Canada, Apotex.  She also spent 2 years with a USA based company, Chemwerth, focused on auditing and compliance in China.  Pauline provides tremendous support and help to manufacturers and customers in supporting compliance with cGMPs.

On June 22, 2007 Robyn Frisch, President and CEO of Rochem International, Inc. was awarded the “Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award” by the Asian American Business Development Center. This award is the nation’s most prestigious Asian American business award program, highlighting the success of Asian American entrepreneurs and corporate professionals for their distinguished achievements in the field of business and recognizes those who demonstrate innovation, leadership and vision. Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor, was the keynote speaker at the formal dinner event held at the Waldorf Astoria.
 

 June 18, 2007, the day before CPHI China, Rochem is hosting an “Appreciation Dinner” in Shanghai to thank all the API, Nutritional/Food Ingredient and Sweetener manufacturers and suppliers in China who have been working very closely with Rochem and supporting Rochem’s growth for many years. There will be over 100 guests including CEOs, General Managers, Vice Presidents and Sales Managers from different companies in China as well as some customers from both North America and Europe.

May 2007, Rochem remains the largest importer and distributor in Europe and North America for Xylitol, manufactured by the largest Xylitol producer in China, Shandong Futian Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Rochem offers Xylitol crystalline, 90 micron, 170 micron, and DC versions. Rochem supplies a broad range of polyol alcohols from China to the leading companies in the confectionary and food industries in North America and Europe.

May 2007, Rochem filed a Canadian DMF for Clotrimazole, manufactured by Jiangsu Yunyang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.

In mid April 2007, Rochem’s pharmaceutical team from the US and Europe spent two weeks in China visiting with and auditing various pharmaceutical, nutritional and sweetener manufacturers. This is the seventh time in fourteen months that Rochem US/Europe has visited and audited facilities in China and is an example of what separates Rochem from other distributors.

April 2007, Rochem filed the following three DMF’s with the U.S. FDA:
– Clotrimazole, manufactured by Jiangsu Yunyang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
– 10-DAB, manufactured by Beijing Yi-he Biotech Co. Ltd.
– Antipyrine (Phenazone), manufactured by Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

March 2007, Rochem commercialized the supply of Xylitol, 170 micron

February 2007, Rochem filed the following five DMF’s with the U.S. FDA:
– Flutamide, manufactured by Jiangsu Tasly Diyi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd
– Progesterone, manufactured by Jiangsu Changzhou Jiaerke Pharmaceutical Group Corp. Ltd.
– Mecobalamin, manufactured by Hebei Huarong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd
– Azithromycin, manufactured by Zhejiang Guobang
– Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd
– Methrotrexate, manufactured by Huzhou Zhanwang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
 
January 2007, Mr. Wei Dongming joined Rochem’s Qingdao China Group as Regulatory Affairs Manager. Mr. Wei graduated from Wuhan University and worked for Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Group for over ten years holding various auditing and QC/QA positions. Mr. Wei is responsible for auditing suppliers and writing DMFs.

January 2007, Mr. Charles Dods was promoted to be the Vice President of Rochem’s Global Planning & European/Asian Operations. Mr. Dods joined Rochem in August 2005, and is based in the UK. Mr. Dods has over twenty years of expertise and outstanding leadership in the pharmaceutical industry.