INBIOTECH - Key Persons

Angel Petrov Kirkov is born in the beautiful Balkan village Komarevo, Berkovitsa municipality, Montana area (then Ferdinand area), on 9 November, 1927 5. He grew up in large patriarchal immediate and extended family 5. His family was respected then with its hardwork and enterprise 5. He spent his childhood in the village of Komarevo, while strictly abiding by patriarchal orders in his family 5. Nearby each other 17 adults, youngsters and children lived, all from one family 5. He graduated his elementary education in the village of Komarevo and in the nearby village of Borovtsi 5. His secondary education he graduated in the nearest town Berkovitsa, which is situated in the foot of Berkovitsa mountain with its famous peak "Kom" 5. He graduated from the Berkovitsa high school "Dr. Ivan Panov", which was among the oldest and among those high schools at the time with rich spiritual and school traditions in Northwestern Bulgaria 5.

Eng. Angel Kirkov (in the right of thephoto) (SBA "Pharmachem") at a meeting in Warsaw, Poland, of General Directors of pharmaceutical State Business Associations from the then social countries (CMEA - Council for Mutual Economic Assistance). The lady in the center is the then General Director of "Polfa" (Pharmaceutical Industry Union), the nowadays "Polfarma, S.A.". Warsaw, 1970 5. Eng. Angel Kirkov visits one of the pharmaceutical plants of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in Japan, with whom he and his team actively traded with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and medicinal products (1971) 5. By idea and initiative of Eng. Angel Kirkov а Scientific Advisory Board to SBA "Pharmachem" was created, in which the most distinguished scientists in the chemical-pharmaceutical sphere in Bulgaria participated at that time 5. In this Scientific Advisory Board participated the most renowned representatives of the older and newer generation Bulgarian scientists for creation of close ties between science and pharmaceutical manufacturing in Bulgaria 5. The aim of this proximity of science and pharmaceutical manufacturing was to correspond to highest international requirements and standards 5. With active participation by Eng. Angel Kirkov, a team of chemists and pharmacists developed and implemented original patentable technology for manufacturing of "Analgin" (Metamizole sodium) and amidophen, as a result of which Bulgaria became the second leader in the world in manufacturing and sales of the API and the finished dosage forms Analgin (over 1200 tons, annually) 5. He had personal contribution to development of the technology and machines for manufacturing of the medicinal product 17. As a chemist he improved part of the method of obtaining the API of Metamizole sodium 5. Numerous new medicinal products were implemented in manufacturing, many of which successfully marketed today on the Bulgarian and international markets 5. Eng. Angel Kirkov was General Director of SBA "Pharmachem" up until March, 1972, when was the end of his 7-year successful heading of the first in such scale enterprize in the industrial history of Bulgaria. Only for this period, SBA "Pharmachem" ranked among the top pharmaceutical companies in Europe and in the world 5. SBA "Pharmachem" was famous among the SBAs in Bulgaria for its own hymn, which was sang by all employees of the association 5. From 1972 up until 1978 Eng. Angel Kirkov worked as Director of the Institute for Rationing and Effective Utilization of Materials and subsequently started working as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Supply and State Reserves 5. On this position he led the highly responsible job of strategic planning for state resources 5. For one year, in 1978, he was hired again as General Director of "Pharmachem", due to aggravated activity of the enterprise during his absence 5. He was hired again, in order to contribute again for improvement of the key performance indicators of the enterprise 5.

Job Titles:

• Chief Assistant Tsvetana Boneva

Job Titles:

• Associate Professor
• General Director
• Chairman of TheHomeland Committee for the Region of Berkovitsa
• Director of "Bakeryproducts", Blagoevski District, Sofia, 1957 5
• General Director OfSBA "Pharmachem
• Manager and Owner of INBIOTECH After 2000 7

In 1946 Angel Kirkov is admitted as a student in the Business faculty of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", which he graduated in 1950 5. During this time he bagan higher education, which was not common in Bulgaria during those years 5. He was admitted in the University after excellent results from admission exam with theme "Progessive ideas in Bulgarian literature" 5. In order to attend the University he received Sofia citizenship after he became first in success as an Officer during that time in the Montana region 5. The degree, which he signed up for is "Strategic planning" 5. Angel Kirkov lived in the centre of Sofia in the family of Metodi Tachev, nearby the office of the active during that time entrepreneur 5. This job and the developed by him commercial activities gave Angel Kirkov the opportunity to learn the rules and subtleties of organization and realization of the business, which as a result is of great advantage in his entire business activity in the years to come 5. In 1951 Angel Kirkov graduated the Business faculty in Sofia as one of the most academically successful students 5. Unlike many other students during that time, he applied many of the concepts, learned in the University, in practice in the company of Metodi Tachev 5. On the other hand, his work in the business also helped him to master more in-depth the lectured material in the degree, which he studied 5. In Sofia he supported himself financially entirely on his own, without financial support from his family, whom he often visited during his studies and work in the big city 5. From 1 October, 1955, Angel Kirkov started work in the newly formed enterprise "Bakery products" in the city of Sofia 5. As a result of his distinctive work in the Ministry of internal trade earlier, he was hired as Director of the enterprise for the Blagoevski district from 1958 to 1962, where he successfully developed production and sales activities of bakery products 5. Prof. Angel Kirkov, "Guide for practicalexercises for organization and economics of pharmaceutical manufacturing", dedicated to students of pharmacy. The first edition was published in 1983 and the second edition was published in 1989 5, 9. ENPRIL® was the first generic of Enalapril maleate in Bulgaria, implemented in manufacturing and on the market by Prof. Kirkov 7. BIOPRAZOL® is first generic of Omeprazole in Bulgaria, implemented in manufacturing and on the market by Prof. Angel Kirkov 7. Prof. Angel Kirkov received also recognition from lecturing professors in the Pharmaceutical Faculty of the Medical Academy in Sofia for remarkable contributions to the Pharmaceutical Faculty, the students of Pharmacy and to the modern pharmaceutical industry in Bulgaria 7. Prof. Angel Kirkov was one of the creators and one of the most active contributors to the modern Bulgarian pharmaceutical industry 5. Chronology of the work activity of Angel Kirkov is rich, but at the same time, much more interesting and significant were the values, which he possessed and developed in his life 5. His love of constantly learning especially stood out 5. During his whole life he constantly learned practically and academically 5. Despite his two academic educations, he always learned from his experience, from the experience of multiple and diverse collectives, with whom he worked, as well as from the work of particular employees specialists 5. Angel Kirkov diligently researched the international experience and progress in the global, even at that time, pharmaceutical industry 5, 7. He always looked for scientific substantiations in the characteristic nuances of a specific activity, he valued its significance and he implemented all his knowledge and experience for that activity's prosperity 5, 7. He utilized scientific methods and manifested analytical skills during review and solutions to problems 18. Angel Kirkov applied his sense of responsibility in each of his activities, initiatives, and ventures 5. Always, he deeply analyzed and discussed the long-term consequencies, which will occur after taking a particular decision 5, 7. Because of this, he also was famous for his fast and correct short-term and long-term decision-making 5, 7. He was not bothered to discuss a specific problem with employees and specialists, as well as to search for their views and suggestions, with which frequently he motivated his decisions 5, 7. He always learned from the best workers in manufacturing facilities, from the best scientific workers in the Scientific Research Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute (SRCPI) and other scientific institutions, as well as from the commercial team, with whom he worked for the Bulgarian market, the European market, the Russian and South-East Asian market 5. Prof. Kirkov, personal friend of thewriter Jordan Radichkov, who was also from Berkovitsa, during unveiling of his monument in Sofia 14. Prof. Dr. Angel Kirkov, Chairman of theHomeland Committee for the region of Berkovitsa in Sofia, for celebration of the creativity and deeds of Ivan Vazov 14. In the photo he speaks in front of the Sofian Homeland Committee for celebrating 150 th-anniversary, since the birth of Ivan Vazov, the patriarch of Bulgarian literature 14. The writer spent one year of his life in Berkovitsa 5. The House-Museum of Ivan Vazov inBerkovitsa, which reconstruction was also sponsored by Prof. Angel Kirkov 5. Prof. Dr. Angel Kirkov made significant contribution to the development of the Berkovitsa region 5. He was awarded as Honorary Citizen of the town of Berkovitsa, due to his active participation for the economic development of the region 5. Prof. Dr. Angel Kirkov had contribution to the cultural development of the town of Berkovitsa 5. ‘'Many are the significant things with the active participation of the fellow countryman Angel Kirkov and they will not be forgotten'' 14. Frequently asked question by Prof. Dr. Angel Kirkov towards fellow countrymen was ‘'What's new in our homeland?''. He assisted the development of the museum complex in the town of Berkovitsa 14. He also sponsored the ‘'South-West Balkan'' newspaper 14. Prof. Dr. Angel Kirkov supported the preservation of the house of Ivan Vazov in Berkovitsa, where the patriarch of the Bulgarian literature spent one year of his life 14. Part of his speech as Chairman of the Homeland Committee for the town of Berkovitsa during the celebration of the 150 th anniversary since the birth of the poet was: ‘'Respected countrymen, dear Vazovs, let us all remember and make all remember 'Epic of the Forgotten‘, 'Under the Yoke', to remember these values, needed also today'' 14. Prof. Dr. Angel Kirkov was active member of the ‘'Berkovitsa Patriotic Society'' 14. This biographic article for Prof. Angel Kirkov encompasses his professional path 5. This article was written by his family and colleagues with deep love and deep admiration 5, 7. Much can be written for him and this article includes only separate aspects of his professional biography 5, 7. This biography is based on his stories and the presented documents by his family 5. Assoc. Prof. Angel Kirkov, ‘'Medicinal products, needs, medicinal products' insurance''. Medicine & Physical Education'', 1985;

Job Titles:

• Chairman of the Cardiological Clinic of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases

Prof. Dr. Chudomir Nachev, Chairman of the Cardiological Clinic of the Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases at Military Medical Academy, Sofia. ‘'ENPRIL - Bulgarian manufacturing, in no way inferior to Western analogs''. Forum Medicus, vol. 6, 7 February, 1994;