Fildas-Catena, the largest business in Romania’s pharmaceutical market, ended 2024 with a turnover of approximately 15.5 billion lei, employing 9,000 people across nearly 1,000 pharmacies and 16 modern warehouses under the group’s umbrella. It is a story about vision, continuity, and the ability to build.
Entrepreneur Anca Vlad began her activity in this sector in the early 1990s, at a time when Romania was just learning to operate under the principles of a free market economy. In 1991, she founded Fildas, with only a few employees, and three years later, in 1993, rebranded it as Fildas Trading, entering seriously into the field of pharmaceutical distribution. The market was still unstable, with frequent shortages and a weak logistical infrastructure, recalls Anca Vlad, founder of the Fildas-Catena Group.
The decisive step that would forever change the group’s scale came in 1999, when Fildas Trading acquired the majority stake in the Argeșfarm company from Pitești. On the foundation of its 30 existing pharmacies, the Catena brand was born — a strategic move that expanded the group’s activity from distribution to retail, laying the groundwork for the network that would later become known as “The Pharmacy of the Heart”, and eventually the leader of Romania’s pharmaceutical retail market.
25 Years of Accelerated Growth
“With the launch of Catena, a new stage of sustained development began. In the 2000s, the group’s business was worth only tens of millions of euros. Modest at first, the growth soon became increasingly consistent,” says Anca Vlad, President of the Group.
By 2010, the distribution company Fildas Trading was approaching one billion lei in turnover and was consolidating its position in the market. The following decade, however, brought real expansion. In 2018, Fildas Trading reported revenues of 3.9 billion lei, confirming the dynamic growth of its distribution division. Four years later, in 2022, the picture had grown even broader: Fildas Trading reached 6.6 billion lei, while Catena surpassed 6.3 billion lei.
Starting in 2023, the two pillars – Fildas Trading and Catena – together generated over 14 billion lei, reaffirming their position as major players on both the distribution and retail markets. 2024 marked a new historic milestone, according to the group’s representatives: approximately 15.5 billion lei in total turnover, divided almost equally between distribution and retail.
“This figure confirms not only our leadership on the local market but also the maturity of a 100% Romanian entrepreneurial project. The numbers speak for themselves: in 25 years, the group has grown from a few dozen employees and a few dozen pharmacies to 9,000 people and nearly 1,000 Catena units, with a turnover comparable to that of major international chains. It’s an evolution that reflects not only the strength of a Romanian brand but also its resilience and adaptability in a constantly demanding market,” adds the entrepreneur behind the group.
A lesson that Anca Vlad has passed on in business to her son, Alexandru Vlad, Vice President of the Fildas-Catena Group.
Distribution and Retail – The Two Pillars of the Business
Fildas Trading, the “backbone” of the group, is Romania’s leader in pharmaceutical distribution. Its 16 modern warehouses, strategically located nationwide and covering over 60,000 square meters, ensure efficient logistics flows. Every day, the company supplies more than 5,000 pharmacies and 300 hospitals with a portfolio of over 18,000 products. The entire process operates like a precision mechanism, supported by a fleet of over 220 vehicles, increasingly oriented toward electric and hybrid solutions, and by digital technologies that guarantee efficiency and traceability.
On the retail side, the network now exceeds 950 units, covering all regions of Romania – from major university centers to smaller towns. Together, Fildas Trading and Catena form an integrated business model: distribution provides the infrastructure and stability, while retail ensures closeness to patients and brand visibility.
Investments in Digitalization and Sustainability
One of the key drivers of growth in recent years has been digitalization, say Fildas-Catena representatives. A network of nearly 1,000 pharmacies and a nationwide logistics infrastructure require a solid technological backbone. This is how Smart Soft Power, the group’s IT company, was founded – with more than 120 specialists and hundreds of projects implemented. In essence, Smart Soft Power is the digital brain of Fildas-Catena, ensuring that all components work together seamlessly.
Beyond technology, the group has also made major investments in sustainability. Its warehouses are equipped with photovoltaic panels, while its fleet includes electric and hybrid vehicles. “Paperless” programs help reduce resource consumption.
“Fildas-Catena is not content with simply being a market leader — it also aims to be an example of responsibility toward the environment. It’s a modern approach, where economic performance goes hand in hand with care for the future. ‘The Pharmacy of the Heart’ has become a brand recognized and appreciated by millions of Romanians, while Fildas Trading – ‘The Name of Health in Romania’ stands as a model of logistical efficiency and adaptability. Together, they have proven that local entrepreneurship can compete on equal footing with major international players — and that when vision and consistency come together, results are inevitable,” concludes Anca Vlad.
