Zagreb, Library of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, 18th November 2016 – 31st March 2017
Exhibition was included in the manifestation Museum Night ’17.
Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, 8th – 28th February 2017
Zagreb, Clinical Hospital „Sisters of Mercy“, Department of Urology, March – May 2018
Pliva is the largest pharmaceutical company in Croatia and one of the leading companies in Southeast Europe thanks to its highly competent employees, innovative technologies and continuous investments in production. Its 95-year old productive development opens a layered insight into different historical aspects ranging from its rich pharmaceutical experience in developing almost all therapeutic groups and active pharmaceutical components to various marketing strategies advancement. Pliva’s success and status may largely be attributed to its in-house research and development of finished dosage forms and active pharmaceutical ingredients. This process can be traced back to Pliva’s predecessor Kaštel, particularly when Vladimir Prelog joined its expert team and introduced a financially successful method of producing Streptazol, one of the first commercial sulfonamides. This exhibition shows the early milestones of Kaštel’s production, as well as the first organised research projects that started in 1936. Before long, it became apparent that advertisement was a potent strategic tool that the company could use to gain sustainable competitive advantage, as well as to enhance products and corporate identity. In this respect, a glance into Kaštel’s products marketing reveals the beginnings of the medicalisation of life in our territory through the role of pharmaceutical industry on the one hand, and general practitioners on the other, as well as policies of drug popularisation and company interests in medical education advancement through different media. Furthermore, the role of pharmaceutical company in motivating prominent design experts for their market strategies has been evident since the 1930s. Therefore, the work by Pavao Gavranić presented here gives an opportunity to comprehend both the beginnings of industrial design in our territory and Gavranić’s inventive techniques and achievements. Moreover, it opens up the area of the so far neglected part of Kaštel/Pliva‘s commercial strategy history and verification as a basis for further research.
With 95 years of successful pharmaceutical experience, PLIVA is today a member of the Teva Group, one of the largest global pharmaceutical companies, and it is keeping its path providing customers with affordable medicines for a better quality of life.
Catalogue of the exhibition includes two introductory texts, bibliographic notes, references, summary, extensive catalogue units and color photographs of all 100 museum exhibits.
PROJECT HOLDERS
Marko Pećina, Fellow of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Museum Director
Prof. DSc Stella Fatović-Ferenčić, MD, Museum Deputy Director
Silvija Brkić Midžić, senior curator, Museum Manager
CO-ORGANIZERS OF THE EXHIBITION
Library HAZU, Vedrana Juričić, MA, Library Manager
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Dean Prof. DSc Željan Maleš, Prof. DSc Ivan Kosalec
Clinical Hospital „Sisters of Mercy“, Department of Urology, Zagreb, Matej Knežević, MD
CONCEPT OF THE EXHIBITION, SELECTION AND CATALOGING OF EXHIBITS
Silvija Brkić Midžić
AUTHORS OF TEXTS
Stella Fatović-Ferenčić
Silvija Brkić Midžić
REVIEWERS
Slobodan Vukičević, Fellow of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Prof. DSc Nikola Kujundžić, M. Pharm.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY
Srećko Budek
EXHIBITION COLLABORATOR
Vanja Adžić
EXHIBITION DESIGN
Ante Rašić, Studio Rašić
TECHNICAL DISPLAY
Renato Škrlin
PROPERTY OF THE EXHIBITS
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts: Croatian Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Prints and Drawings, The Division for the History of Medical Sciences
GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PREPARATION FOR PRINT OF EXHIBITION BOARDS, BANNERS AND POSTERS
Studio Rašić
Ante Rašić
Ankica Penava Pejčinović
SPONSOR
Pliva
The exhibition has been realised thanks to the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the City Office for Education, Culture and Sports of the City of Zagreb.
