Hovid Berhad (; ) is a

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

n health care provider and

pharmaceutical company The pharmaceutical industry is a Medicine, medical industry that discovers, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical goods such as medications and medical devices. Medications are then administered to (or Self-medicate, self-administered b ...

. It was founded in the early 1940s. The company's headquarters are located in

Ipoh Ipoh (, ) is the capital city of the Malaysian States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Perak. Located on the Kinta River, it is nearly north of Kuala Lumpur and southeast of George Town, Penang, George Town in neighbouring Penang ...

, the capital city of

Perak Perak (; Perak Malay: ''Peghok'') is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kel ...

state,

. It was formerly known as Ho Yan Hor Sdn Bhd (). Hovid manufactures primarily

generic drug A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active ch ...

s such as

antihistamine Antihistamines are drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought without a prescription and provides ...

antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy ...

tranquilizer A sedative or tranquilliser is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement. They are central nervous system (CNS) depressants and interact with brain activity, causing its deceleration. Various kinds of sedatives c ...

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

antacid An antacid is a substance which neutralization (chemistry), neutralizes gastric acid, stomach acidity and is used to relieve heartburn, indigestion, or an upset stomach. Some antacids have been used in the treatment of constipation and diarrhe ...

s, and

diuretic A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics ...

s. It also manufactures

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person's diet by taking a pill (pharmacy), pill, capsule (pharmacy), capsule, tablet (pharmacy), tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients eithe ...

s. Hovid's products are

Halal ''Halal'' (; ) is an Arabic word that translates to in English. Although the term ''halal'' is often associated with Islamic dietary laws, particularly meat that is slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines, it also governs ethical practices ...

certified. Hovid's

research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...

activities focus on special delivery systems, bio-availability and enhanced formulations. The company is increasing its efforts in developing pharmaceuticals with unique delivery systems. Hovid Berhad was publicly listed on the second board of

Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Bursa Malaysia (English: Malaysian Bourses or Malaysia Exchange) is the stock exchange in Malaysia. It is one of the largest bourses in ASEAN. It is based in Kuala Lumpur and was previously known as the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE). It p ...

(KLSE) on April 5, 2005 and was transferred to the main board on June 20, 2006. Hovid's products are marketed in more than 50 countries. The company claims it was the first to introduce Malaysian generic drugs overseas in the 1990s.

History

The company was founded by Ho Kai Cheong. Its first product was Ho Yan Hor Herbal Tea, a Chinese

herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...

recipe made of 24 herbs. In the 1980s, the company transformed from a traditional Chinese herbal manufacturer to generic drugs, health supplements and consumer health care products. The company began focusing on

tocotrienol Tocotrienols are plant-derived natural products belonging to the vitamin E family of diterpenoids. They exist as four isomers (alpha, beta, gamma, delta), each differing in the number and position of methyl groups on their chromanol ring. Toc ...

research and development in the 2000s. Ho () formulated the tea in the early 1940s. He started to sell boiled herbal teas in front of his shop and residence. It was a popular alternative to western medicine during the after World War II. Few Malaysians had the funds to pay a doctor during illness, and chose traditional ways to seek recovery. In the 1970s, Ho sent his eldest son, David Ho Sue San to New Zealand to pursue a degree in

pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...

. After graduating, David went to

Wyeth Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Inc. was a pharmaceutical company until it was purchased by Pfizer in 2009. The company was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1860 as John Wyeth and Brother. Its headquarters moved to Collegeville, Pennsylvania, a ...

in the United Kingdom to work as a research pharmacist for two years. He returned to Malaysia in 1980 and took over his father's business, modernizing the manufacturing process of the herbal tea. David then founded Hovid Berhad and introduced the line of pharmaceuticals.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.hovid.com 1980 establishments in Malaysia Companies listed on Bursa Malaysia Pharmaceutical companies of Malaysia Pharmaceutical companies established in 1980 Malaysian brands Malaysian companies established in 1980