VAXIMAX Marketing Ventures, Inc. (VAXIMAX) was incorporated on January 6, 2009 by a group of like-minded professionals who saw the need to fill in the gap in vaccine distribution when the cold storage facility of Zuellig Pharma in Iloilo City closed down in late 2008 and was transferred to Cebu City. Doctors have to wait for at least a week to have their vaccines delivered from either Cebu or Manila. The delay in the delivery greatly affected clinical practice especially of pediatricians who perform most of the vaccinations. It was also around that time (June 2009) when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a flu pandemic of H1N1 which created a demand for flu vaccines. There were frequent power interruptions in the city that prevented doctors from stocking vaccines in their clinics.
The challenge then was how to put up a cold storage facility that can maintain vaccines at WHO-required temperature ranges of 2-8 degrees Celsius. For vaccines to remain potent and effective, they have to be properly received, stored, and transported to various clinics and hospitals in the area with strict observance of the cold chain. After studying the necessary equipment and gadgets and discussions with possible sources of vaccines, application for establishing such a company was put into place. Two rooms in the building where Atty. Ma. Carolina Tantoco-Advincula holds office (AJL Building) along General Luna St. were renovated and transformed into an office and a cold storage facility.
By having vaccines available locally and delivered fast (same day delivery), We have established a stronghold in Iloilo City and nearby towns. It initially distributed only pneumococcal and flu vaccines of major vaccine companies like Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), Sanofi Pasteur, Abbott, Merck, Sharp and Dohme (MSD) and Novartis through their main distributor, Zuellig Pharma Corporation. It soon carried a complete line of vaccines – BCG, DPT, Hepatitis, Oral Polio vaccines, Measles, Varicella, Meningoencephalitis, Rabies, even anti-cervical cancer. The company started with two medical representatives who also deliver the vaccines and collect payments. Operations were brisk and the company soon opened branches in key cities in the region – Bacolod City (2011), Roxas City (2012) and Kalibo (2014). From the two employees in 2009, it has increased to its current number of 24 – 14 in Iloilo with both administration/operations and sales, 6 in Bacolod, 2 each in Roxas City and in the municipality of Kalibo, Aklan.
In 2012, we ventured into the distribution of other pharmaceutical lines starting with neurological and critical care products. Philcare Pharma introduced critical care and anesthesia products to VAXIMAX. It came at a time when the company was having difficulty sustaining vaccine sales due to the decrease in demand from pediatricians brought about by free vaccines provided by the government. In addition to the vaccination program of the government, issues surrounding the vaccine against Dengue Fever triggered an anti-vaccination campaign which affected the demand and sales of vaccines in general.
But despite the slowing down of vaccine sales resulting in thinner profit margins, the company opted to continue its vaccine lines primarily because of its social responsibility to make these drugs readily available to medical practitioners and help prevent the surge in diseases like measles, pertussis, TB, Hepatitis, shingles, chicken pox, typhoid fever, tetanus and rabies, all of which can have devastating effects not just on children but also in adults. With the recent epidemics of measles and dengue hemorrhagic fever hitting Region VI, it is the goal of the company to educate the populace about the importance of vaccination and dispel the unfounded risks (e.g., autism) attributed to it.
The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus strain in early 2020 which causes the deadly disease COVID-19 brought to the fore the challenge of providing medical practitioners with the medicines necessary for the treatment of mild, moderate and severe cases of the disease. Thus, in partnership with Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc., VAXIMAX now ensures the availability of the life-saving drugs Remdesivir (Covifor) and Favipiravir (Favivir) to all hospitals in the Western Visayas area. Additionally, VAXIMAX now also works in tandem with Roche Philippines for the supply of Tocilizumab (Actemra), a drug currently used for rheumatologic disorders, which has been proven to reduce the severity and/or duration of COVID-19 infections.
The enforcement of lockdowns of varying degrees in numerous places all over the country posed logistical challenges in the movement of medicines used not just for the treatment of COVID-19 but also for other life-threatening diseases such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, stroke and cancer. Together with Bio-Onco, Inc., a subsidiary of UNILAB, INC., and Lilly, both trusted names in the pharmaceutical industry, we now also carry and distribute oncology medicines in Western Visayas.
By being the link of pharmaceutical companies to doctors and their patients, VAXIMAX aims to increase vaccination coverage and lessen the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. By doing so, it helps the government and the United Nations achieve one of its sustainable development goals – promoting good health and well-being. Vaccines and critical care products will be the main drugs that VAXIMAX will carry in 2021 and beyond.
Guided by the values of honesty, dependability, and integrity, VAXIMAX is ably managed by Atty. Ma. Carolina Tantoco-Advincula, a legal practitioner, licensed real estate broker and certified public accountant.