Ego Pharmaceuticals

Ego Pharmaceuticals is a privately held Australian pharmaceutical multinational skin care company with subsidiaries in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, as well as staff in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The company has researched, manufactured and marketed skincare products for over 60 years and has more than 450 employees, 125 of which are based in 11 nations outside of Australia.

Ego was founded in 1953 in Melbourne as a home-based business by chemist Gerald Oppenheim, and his wife, Rae Oppenheim, a nurse. Through the 1960s, business expanded to include export markets in Singapore, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. The company has since expanded into the Middle East, with a regional office in Dubai. Despite takeover offers, the company remains in private hands.
Ego manufactures, exports and markets over 120 dermatological products to treat and prevent skin conditions and to maintain healthy skin.
Brands include: QV Skincare, SunSense Sunscreen, Aqium Hand Sanitiser, MOOV Head Lice Treatment, Pinetarsol, DermAid, Elucent, SolvEasy, Azclear, Resolve, ViraproX, and Zatamil.
In 2005, the two most senior managers of Ego received the independent industry ASMI Award for Excellence to the Australian Self Medication Industry. In 2006, Ego was commended for its export success in the Governor of Victoria Export Awards.
In 2014 Ego announced the purchase of 9.5 hectares of land in Dandenong South, building of stage one will commence in October 2015. It will be home to Ego's new global headquarters and a manufacturing center.
The same year Ego was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Victorian Government to extend its flammable goods production capacity in a $14.6 million investment which will boost exports by a substantial $40 million and create 63 new jobs. The expansion will also double bottle filling capacity across the business.
Ego was awarded the 2015 Governor of Victoria Export Health and Biotechnology Award for outstanding international success in healthcare, presented at Government House on 30 September.
Ego provides support to a wide range of charities and community organisations, and invests in dermatological education and research.
History
Ego was founded when a young chemist, Gerald Oppenheim, and his wife, Rae, a nurse, saw a need for products to restore and maintain healthy skin. In the laundry of their suburban Melbourne home they developed Ego Pine Tar Bath Solution, later called Pinetarsol, which remains one of Australia’s most widely used inflammation treatments.
Gerald Oppenheim passed away in 1995 leaving his legacy, Ego, to the family. His sons, Alan Oppenheim the Managing Director, and David Oppenheim both sit on the Board of Directors. As does Dr Jane Oppenheim, Alan’s wife, who is the Scientific and Operations Director.
The name ‘Ego’ is an acronym for Erwin and Gerald Oppenheim. Dr. Erwin Oppenheim, Gerald’s father was a dermatologist.

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