PT Kalbe Farma Tbk, or simply known as Kalbe, is an Indonesian pharmaceutical, healthcare and nutrition company established in 1966.[1] The company has expanded by strategic acquisitions of pharmaceutical companies, becoming an integrated consumer health and nutrition enterprise. The Kalbe Group has brands in the prescription drugs, OTC drugs, energy drink and nutrition products, with a distribution arm that reaches over one million outlets. Notably, the company produces misoprostol (sold under the brand name of Invitec), a drug which is used to treat stomach ulcers but is also widely used in Indonesia as an illegal abortifacient (abortion-inducing substance).[2]
Company brands in healthcare and pharmaceutical segments include Promag, Mixagrip, Woods, Komix, Diabetasol, Prenagen, Extra Joss and Fitbar.
Kalbe is the largest publicly listed pharmaceutical company in Southeast Asia with around US$5 billion in market capitalization and revenues of over Rp 15 trillion. The name "Kalbe" is a syllabic abbreviation of its founder's name: Khouw Lip Boen.
History
Kalbe Farma was founded on September 10, 1966, by 6 siblings, K.L. Tjoen, Theresia H. Setiady, Khouw Lip Swan, Khouw Lip Boen (Also Known As: Dr. Boenyamin Setiawan), Maria Karmila, and F. Bing Aryanto.