The fifties are significant for the intensive growth of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry of the Soviet Union. By 1956, according to the results of the 5th five-year plan (1951-1955), the production of medicines in the country increased 6 times compared to 1940.
A number of new plants was put into operation, the list of manufactured products, including antibiotics, expanded. The major success of Soviet scientists was the creation of a therapeutic serum and vaccine for preventive vaccinations against diphtheria. In general, pharmaceutical enterprises produced about 1,000 items of various medicines.
Under conditions of further development of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry of the USSR, an important role was still assigned to the Moscow Endocrine Plant, which at that time had another stage of development.
The Central State Archive of Moscow has kept a report on the main activities of the plant for 1954. According to the document, the team fulfilled the 12-month plan ahead of schedule already on December 2, 1954. At the same time, the plant manufactured products in excess of the established plan in ready-to-sell prices in the amount of 1,906,000 rubles or 108.3 percent.
It should be noted that out of 20 items of medicines produced by the plant in 1954, the plan was completed and exceeded for 17 items. First of all, the vital ones. Thus, the release of insulin exceeded by almost 83,000 vials, pantocrine and adrenaline – by 67,000 and 61,000 vials, respectively.
Unfortunately, the plan was incomplete for andrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) by almost 20 percent, campolone by a little more than 30 percent, and for cortina by almost 40 percent. The report explains the reasons for the shortcomings. One of them is the lack of equipment and appropriate premises for the production of ACTH. Therefore, the release under existing conditions was prohibited by the State Sanitary Inspection due to the inability to combine the manufacture of this drug with others.
A serious decrease in the production of cortina occurred because the previously operating technology did not guarantee the receipt of a drug that met the requirements of technical conditions. This led to the failure of the plan, but only in the first half of the year.
Technological shortcomings emerged in the production of another drug – campolone, used in the treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, atrophic gastritis. It turned out that in the proposed Leningrad method of obtaining campolone, the filtration stage of the drug, ensuring its sterility, was not finalized, which led to the failure of the plan in the first half of the year.
The employees of the enterprise tried to improve the situation once again. Knowing the production technology in the smallest details, they introduced new equipment and installed it in the third quarter of 1954 on their own. This allowed to use the method of cold sterilization of the drug. The campolon obtained in this way already met all the necessary requirements.
So, in 1954, the plant mastered the production of a new drug prolactin, required for patients with altered hormonal profile. During the year, 1,200 vials were produced. Later, the production of this urgently needed medicine was increased tenfold.
Already at that time, one of the most important traditions of the plant was being formed: not to stop, to find and introduce into production the most effective methods that can improve the quality and increase the number of products. Subsequent years were marked by a significant increase in the labor and innovative activity of the employees of the enterprise. The traditional socialist competition for the early implementation of the five-year plans unfolded on an even greater scale. A characteristic feature of the competition of that period was the persistent struggle for technological progress, the mobilization of production reserves, which found expression in increasing labor productivity, improving product quality, reducing its cost, etc.
Thus, in 1955 the staff of the plant, in accordance with its obligations, achieved the five-year plan ahead of schedule on October 29 and manufactured products in excess of the five-year plan in wholesale prices in the amount of 5,629,000 rubles or 104.9 percent.
In addition to the plan, the employees of the enterprise established the production of 5 items, and the legendary pantocrine was produced by 161,000 vials more than planned.
The next achievement of the plant in 1955 was the development and introduction into production of antisympatin, a drug for the treatment of hypertension. During the year, 100,000 vials were produced.
The success of the workers of the enterprise was honored by the state. The staff of the plant was awarded the transferable Red Banner of the AUCCTU, and the head of the Ministry of Meat and Dairy Industry of the USSR awarded prizes in the amount of 16,900 rubles.
Performing the Tasks of the Government
By the end of the post-war decade, the work of the national economy was largely restored and put on a peaceful track. The country was entering a new era of development. In order to meet the requirements, by 1956 the structure of the plant had changed significantly compared to 1945. The management carried out a significant optimization of production – now it was divided into main and auxiliary. The main one included hormone, ampoule, and packaging workshops, the auxiliary one - workshops of cleanliness and mechanical ones.
During this period, special importance was traditionally attached to the professional development of personnel. In 1956, 35 people were trained. Among them 24 specialists improved their qualifications, and individual training was organized for 11 specialists. It is important to note that everything was carried out on the job. Thus, the technological process was not disrupted, funds were saved, and, most importantly, continuity was maintained in the team, production traditions were preserved and multiplied.
The plant fulfilled the plan for gross output in wholesale prices by 108.1 percent (according to the plan, 17,520,000 rubles, in fact - 18,941,000 rubles). Of the 14 types of medical products manufactured by the enterprise, the plan was fulfilled and exceeded for 13 of them, and only for one product, adiurekrin, the plant fulfilled the task by 51 percent due to the shortage of necessary raw materials.
In general, the output of products compared to 1955 increased in wholesale prices by more than 2,031,000 rubles or 12 percent. First of all, these were the most important and vital drugs for the population of the country – purified insulin, ampoule adrenaline, cortine.
The specialists of the plant managed to increase the output of insulin thanks to the improvement of its purification methods, the introduction of centralized alcohol supply to technological processes and significant sealing of alcohol during production, the introduction of fast-freezing cabinets into production, which made it possible to significantly improve the quality of the supplied raw materials.
It is noteworthy that during 1956, the alcohol consumption rates for the release of insulin decreased three times. As a result, the alcohol savings in this production process alone amounted to more than 12,700 liters.
In addition, in 1956, the plant carried out a partial mechanization of production. By the efforts of the plant specialists, an automatic machine with two transporters for sealing ampoules was installed and put into operation, the supply of alcohol from the warehouse to the production workshops was mechanized, the process of washing insulin vials was improved. The introduction of innovations made it possible to work on the improvement and modernization of technological processes, as well as the rational use of working time. However, the main result was an increase in labor productivity by more than 21 percent compared to 1955.
The achievement of such high results was largely facilitated by the socialist competition that unfolded at the enterprise between production workshops and brigades. In total, 125 workers were involved in the socialist competition, which amounted to 66.5 percent of the total number. 14 teams (70 workers) competed for the title of "Team of Excellent Quality and High Labor Productivity".
At the same time, the staff of the plant participated in a socialist competition between the factories and workshops of the Meat Processing Plant named after A.I. Mikoyan, as well as enterprises of the Ministry of Meat and Dairy Industry of the USSR. Suffice to say that in just 9 months of 1956, the enterprise exceeded the production plan by 1,123,000 rubles. In particular, 105,000 vials of pantocrine, 28,000 boxes of antianemin, and almost 11,000 vials of insulin were developed in excess of the plan. Above-planned savings were obtained from reducing the cost of manufactured products by 793,000 rubles.
By order of the director, for the successful completion of the tasks of the five-year plan the staff of the plant was awarded a significant cash prize in the amount of 11,000 rubles, and the transferable Red Banner was also awarded. The high appreciation of their labor inspired the employees of the enterprise to achieve new results in providing the citizens of the country with high-quality medicines.
Stages of Growth
As the documents show, the dynamic growth of the products of the Soviet pharmaceutical industry continued in the 50-60s. Thus, the production of antibiotics was increased 3.9 times, hormonal drugs – 4.2 times, anti–tuberculosis drugs – 2.6 times. The production of finished pharmaceutical products reached 2 billion packages, injectable solutions in ampoules – 2 billion pieces per year, etc.
The Plant of Endocrine Medicines also made a significant contribution to increasing the production and expanding the range of medicines for the whole country. The growth of the enterprise indicators was largely carried out due to mechanization and automation of production, especially labor-intensive work, the introduction of new equipment and advanced technologies.
The activity of inventors and innovators played an important role in this process. This is confirmed by the records in the book of registration of innovation proposals for 1954-1963 stored in the Central State Archive of Moscow. Its pages contain brief descriptions of innovation proposals, the names of their developers and notes on implementation.
Only in 1954, 26 unique innovation proposals were submitted by engineering and technical workers, 14 of proposals were successfully implemented at the enterprise, and the economic effect amounted to 385,500 rubles.
The inventive and innovative activities of the plant specialists were carried out more and more actively from year to year. For example, in 1956 they made 25 innovation proposals, 8 of which were almost immediately implemented
Among the best innovators at the plant at that time were E. Fedotova, A. Mironova, Z. Lanetskaya, K. Sychev, V. Gurov, N. Rubtsova, A. Gurova, and others. Thus, thanks to the development of K. Sychev, hot water from the condensing tank of the boiler house was supplied to the entire enterprise. Today, the importance of this innovation can be judged by the entry in the book of registration of innovation proposals for the payment of 400 rubles to the author of the invention as a reward. At that time, when the average salary was 600 – 700 rubles, it was a significant amount of money.
And here are some more lines from this book, "As a result of the introduction of a new, more improved method of production of cortina (the innovation proposal of the head of the hormone workshop Rubtsova and senior chemical engineer Gurova), the plant increased the yield of cortina and gave a significant reduction in the consumption rates of raw materials and materials per unit of marketable products."
It is further explained that the innovation saved more than 7 tons of ingredients for the production of this medicine. The total savings amounted to 119,557 rubles. As a result, each of the innovators was paid a reward of 500 rubles. The amount at that time, note, is quite decent.
The year 1959 turned out to be a kind of breakthrough, when 55 proposals were introduced. Among them 22 were related to the improvement of production, 33 – the mechanization of manual labor. The archive has preserved a large number of orders and instructions of the director of the plant V. Chugarinov on the use of innovation and the promotion of innovators. Two orders signed on September 19 are noteworthy. One of them is on the issue of replacing glued boxes with blister packs for packaging insulin, the other is about the addition of zinc chloride in the production of ACTH. The economic effect of the introduction of these proposals is striking. It amounted to almost 223 and 226 thousand rubles, respectively about 450,000 rubles in total.
The successful and fast use of innovations contributed to an increase in labor productivity. In accordance with the letter of the Moscow City Council of Agriculture dated April 25, 1959, this became one of the conditions that a 7-hour working day was established for the plant employees from May 15 and new wage conditions were introduced. In particular, some workers were transferred from piecework to time-rate-plus-bonus payment.
At the same time, on May 15, the plant approved a new production management structure. The enterprise consisted of three departments: supply and sales, production and technical control; two sections: hormonal and extractive drugs, ampulation and packaging of medicines; research laboratory and accounting.
The release of 17 drug items envisaged by the plan for 1959 was completed, besides, 4 drug items were produced in excess of the task.
Archival materials are mute witnesses of the events of distant years. Familiarization with them allows you to immerse yourself in the affairs, worries, problems of people of that time. But it is also true that many documents have not lost their relevance to this day. Sometimes it seems that orders and instructions were issued not in the 50s of the last century, but in our days.
Today, for example, we are used to the fact that people do not smoke in public places, and in the 50s smoking was widespread everywhere. However, at the Moscow Plant of Endocrine Medicines, back in April 1959, by order of the director of the enterprise, a ban on smoking was established. Employees were not only forbidden to smoke on the territory of the yard, workshops, departments, and warehouses, but also to carry matches and cigarettes with them through the entrance. Violators were threatened with "dismissal from work and being put on trial."
There is another "up-to-date" document in the archive – an order issued in February 1959. In it, the director of the plant instructed to purchase an anti-influenza serum and, without fail, vaccinate everyone working at the enterprise. Isn't it very similar to the recent situation when our country was overwhelmed by the waves of the covid pandemic? As more than half a century ago, mass vaccination is the most effective way to protect people from viruses.
The utmost significance was given to social issues at the enterprise. In particular, the plant annually allocated funds for the construction of housing for workers in need of it. Thanks to this, families received new comfortable apartments for several years.
The veterans remember a curious fact of that time. As you know, since the late 40s, there has been a global military, economic, and political confrontation between the USSR and the USA, called the Cold War. It was at that time that one of the Western intelligence agencies showed interest in the plant, since it wanted to obtain new developments from the specialists of the research laboratory. But the vigilance of the workers prevented the realization of this insidious plan.
Under the Sign of the Red Deer
In January 1960, the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR "On Measures to Further Improve Medical Care and Health Protection of the Population of the USSR" was adopted, which provided for the implementation of broad measures both for the development of a network of therapeutic and preventive and pharmacy institutions, and for the construction of medical industry plants, the fastest introduction of new types of medicines, medical devices and equipment into serial production.
The implementation of this resolution made it possible to raise the pharmaceutical industry to a higher level. Only during the 7th five-year plan (the seven-year plan of 1959-1965), Krasnoyarsk, Saransk, Kurgan, Penza, Novosibirsk, and Minsk plants of medicins were put into operation in the country, a number of enterprises of a similar profile were reconstructed. Due to this fact, the production of chemical and pharmaceutical products increased 2.9 times compared to 1958.
The Plant of Endocrine Medicines also experienced its rebirth at that time. Considering its increasing importance in the activities of the pharmaceutical industry of the state, in 1962, in accordance with the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, it was removed from the subordination of the Moscow Order of Lenin Meat Processing Plant named after A.I. Mikoyan and received the status of a state enterprise of union subordination with the new name Moscow Endocrine Plant, which remains to this day. At the same time, construction of a new production building of the plant began at the address: Moscow, Novokhokhlovskaya Street, 25. The enterprise is still located at this address.
The production building of the plant was solemnly put into operation in 1964. Spacious workshops, new equipment, modern laboratory devices – all this allowed the plant employees to significantly increase the production of medicines both already available in their portfolio and new ones. The most successful in that period was the production of intermedin, mycoin, pantocrine, insulin, lidase, and a number of other medicines.
At the same time, the plant also had its own emblem - the outline of a red deer. The decision was made at the general meeting and the plant workers didn't chose this image by chance. Back in the years of the Great Patriotic War, the production of a unique drug, pantocrine, using antlers (horns) of reindeer and elks, was established at the enterprise .The release of this legendary drug, which has an anti-inflammatory effect, stimulates the immune system, improves blood circulation, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and protects the human body, was carried out in vials and ampoules. The enterprise specialists tried to increase the amount of this drug from year to year, as there was a very high consumer demand for it.
However, it was not always possible to satisfy this demand due to the lack of raw materials. Here is just one fact. In 1949, a little more than 377 kilograms of spotted deer antlers and 375 kilograms of elk antlers were required for the implementation of the annual plan for pantocrine ampoule and vial enterprise. In fact, the plant received and processed 230 kilograms of spotted deer antlers and only 170 kilograms of elk antlers. The enterprise management repeatedly raised the issue of the lack of raw materials to the head of the Main Department of the Meat Industry (Glavmyaso) The Ministry of Meat and Dairy Industry of the USSR and the head of the Department of Medicines of the Ministry of Health of the USSR. Later, this situation was improved. Moreover, the consumption rates of raw antlers was changed, the technological instruction was improved.
By the beginning of the 8th five-year plan, the release of the "elixir of health and longevity" (the popular name of pantocrine) was increased several times.
In total, by the end of the 60s, the line of the enterprise consisted of more than 40 medicine items that the population of the country needed so much.
Authors: Nikolay Kartashov, Igor Bysenkov.
Work with archival materials: Anna Bagrina.
Comment type is not specified in the component properties.