Medivant Healthcare is a pioneer in the pharmaceutical industry that provides high-quality products reliably, efficiently, affordably, and at scale for hospitals, healthcare providers, and their patients. Launched in 2015 and based in Phoenix, Arizona, Medivant Healthcare operates two fully automated Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) FDA-registered facilities in Arizona that produce single-dose liquid injectable vials and pre-filled syringes. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Medivant Healthcare CEO Viraj Gandhi to learn more.
Viraj Gandhi’s Background
Gandhi is a third-generation pharmaceutical manufacturer executive. And Gandhi said:
“My grandfather was a legend in Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing with many firsts to his name. My father expanded on this, and under him the family had multiple manufacturing sites making all kinds of generic medications: pills, liquids, injectables, etc. I walked in my family’s footsteps and have been trained in the ground at many pharma manufacturing facilities owned by my family at the time. After that, I was involved in our domestic and international sales operations.”
“I moved to the US from India in the mid-2010s, where I acquired a small pharmacy and converted that into Arizona’s second largest specialty pharmacy. After exiting this business, I rolled up all my money and invested in setting up a sterile injection manufacturing facility in Chandler, AZ, under the name of Medivant Healthcare.”
Formation Of Medivant Healthcare
How did the idea for the company come together? Gandhi shared:
“In a country of abundance, when one hears about shortages, it does give anyone a pause. There are many reasons for shortages, but the main one is that in the world of generic drugs, more than 80% of all drugs are imported into the US. These long supply chains are very fragile and break due to any small global event. One such event was Covid, where we realized that we don’t really make anything in the US. I decided to do something about it.”
Favorite Memory
What has been Gandhi’s favorite memory of working for the company so far? Gandhi reflected:
“The daily battles of a startup during which we did not know how we would make payroll and all our employees coming together and telling me not to worry (we did make payroll). It shows the greatness of human nature to bond during a crisis.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Gandhi explained:
“We manufacture sterile generic injectable drugs.”
Challenges Faced
Upon asking Gandhi about the challenges he faced in his sector of work, he acknowledged that there are “too many to list down.”
Evolution Of Medivant Healthcare’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Gandhi noted:
“We keep improving automation and are now deploying AI into a lot of our systems.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Gandhi cited:
“We have shipped more than 1.5 million doses of injectables to hospitals in the last 24 months.”
Customer Success Stories
After asking Gandhi about customer success stories, he pointed out:
“We have many hospitals that have been able to resolve their shortage crisis thanks to our solutions.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Gandhi affirmed:
“We make in the US and do not rely on offshore supply chains.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Gandhi concluded:
“We intend to become a reliable partner for drugs that are in regular shortage with hospitals nationwide.”
