
Targeting Rare Diseases
and Critical Care
AOP Health is the European pioneer for integrated therapies for rare diseases and in critical care.
As a privately owned company AOP Health is devoted to long-term commitment, high quality, and continuity. For a small number of very special diseases the company is the sole supplier of some key therapeutic agents throughout the world.

"Our goal is to enlarge our portfolio with efficient drugs bringing innovative treatments to patients with rare diseases. Therefore our focus in 2019 is to get new molecules included on the reimbursement list offering Romanian patients high standard therapies as all EU citizens are entitled to.
We work together as a dynamic, flexible and passionate team with great motivation and commitment to achieve this aim!"
Founding
Why did you found AOP Health?
“When founding AOP Health in 1996 – as AOP Orphan – my aim was to make targeted treatment available to the maximum number of patients with rare diseases. I realized that these patients are frequently left alone in their suffering. As an entrepreneur the complex environment of rare diseases was a great challenge, but also an opportunity to be successful in this niche.”
What role did AOP Health’s sense of entrepreneurial responsibility play in the founding of the company?
“Entrepreneurial responsibility is no additionally imposed obligation for AOP Health, but the attitude that played an indispensable role at the very time the company was founded. AOP Health’s objective to provide effective help for persons with rare diseases originated from this sense of responsibility and has made the company what it is today.“
AOP Orphan – now AOP Health – was founded in 1996 by Dr. Rudolf Widmann with the aim of developing and providing therapy options for patients with rare diseases, and then introducing the therapy options first in Austria, the European core countries of AOP Health, and finally in the international market.

“I worked for several years in large international pharmaceutical companies and observed that there were some therapy options for rare diseases, but they did not reach the large majority of the patients.”
Facts & Figures
AOP Health is fully dedicated to pharmaceutical and clinical development as well as commercialization of drugs for more than 20 years already.
Our motivation at AOP Health is to help patients who suffer from rare diseases. We achieve this cooperating with stakeholders of the Romanian health care system. Partnerships within pharmaceutical and health care industry are crucial for finding and providing solutions for patients, especially in the treatment of rare diseases.
Romania occupies a special position among many countries where AOP Health is represented. In this market, the company began its development in 2008. AOP Health Romania is a team of around five employees in the Marketing & Sales, and Medical for all three therapeutic divisions.
Being a part of AOP Health team simply means enjoying the work, being committed to a team that values the efforts towards building up a strong business with integrity. Since the foundation we at AOP Health remain committed to ongoing dialogue with the scientific community and by supporting medical education we will improve also patients’ care.
At AOP Health we have the opportunity to develop the full potential while contributing to the success of the company. Our local environment encourages our colleagues to achieve sustainable performance.
Vision & Mission
Milestones
History of more than 20 years means many significant milestones — in research, social, business spheres and regulatory affairs — that were and are important for AOP Health.
Foundation of AOP Health in Vienna
The Orphan Regulation EC no 141/2000
1st Approval of Anagrelide in Europe
European Union Expansion
Prostacyclin Analogues Approval
JAK2 Discovery
Renaissance of Interferon (IFNα)
UDCA Designation
Tetrabenazine Approval in Central Europe
Nabilone Approval in Austria
Start of the PROUD PV Study
Beta-blocker for severe sepsis
Pitolisant approval
Landiolol approval
Treprostinil and PAH
BESREMi® Approval
Corporate culture
Since its very start AOP Health has borne the social responsibility of further life quality improvement for patients with severe, rare and life-threatening diseases. We at AOP Health conduct intensive research for this purpose, believing that developing and providing solutions for patients is the most important part of the AOP Health corporate responsibility. When it comes to wanting the best for the patients, we stand side-by-side with each other as a team, with researches, physicians, therapists, caregivers, patient organizations and other stakeholders.
AOP Health is keen to keep one of its greatest assets – it is closely networked with the key specialists in all markets and is therefore able to help patients with rare diseases from Austria throughout the world.
The future
Thanks to our advancements in the field of therapies, an increasing number of patients survive their disease or are able to live with it for a longer period of time. In the next few decades, personalized medicine, individual treatment opportunities will emerge more and more as the standard in AOP Health’s therapy concepts as well.
Novel technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) will play an equally crucial role as the increasing quantities of big data and conclusions derived from the daily lives of patients also beyond the strictly regulated conditions of clinical trials, e.g. real-world evidence.
Furthermore, the increasing health competence, health literacy of patients and their family members will also determine the future of pharma and health care sector.

AOP Health headquarters team in Vienna covers all essential aspects of product development, starting with preclinical research & toxicology, extending to pharmaceutical & clinical development, including regulatory affairs, quality management & pharmacovigilance. Find out more about Science & Innovation at AOP Health in English on the global website.

Partnering is of key importance for AOP Health. It allows further developing AOP Health’s rare disease portfolio and enables to approach patients beyond company’s core markets in Europe. Find out more about cooperation ways with AOP Health using the link below.