Dr. Vukovich, Founder and Board Member

The Right Drugs for the Right Reasons

A young lawyer in Montgomery, Alabama—a previously healthy woman in her mid-thirties—fainted while arguing a case before the court.  Hospital tests proved that she had Bradbury-Eggleston Syndrome—a disease of progressive neurological failure in which the sympathetic nervous system winds down to a stop. Within weeks the attorney was near death, with no available treatment. A once vital young woman was afflicted with a disease that had no readily available treatment for her illness. She believed she was alone in her battle, unaware that someone else was working for her and others in her situation. She hadn’t yet met Dr. Robert A. Vukovich, a man whose life revolves around treating rare and under-recognized diseases.

Dr. Vukovich (known as “Dr. V”) and his team at Roberts fought tirelessly for all who were diagnosed with Bradbury-Eggleston Syndrome. Through hard work and perseverance he found a treatment that showed promise. During the clinical trials, the lawyer was brought back from the brink. She and many others have, in large part, Dr. V to thank for their good health today.

Dr. V’s Background, Education and Entrepreneurism

Robert Vukovich received the broad-base of his liberal arts education at Pennsylvania’s Allegheny College. While a pre-med student at Allegheny, Dr. V found he didn’t want to practice the “Clinical” side of medicine—wearing a white coat and attending to the needs of one patient at a time. Instead, he realized a desire to work with products that address the issues of many all at once.

Dr. V graduated with a Ph.D. in pathology and clinical pharmacology, after which he developed products for pharmaceutical companies including Warner Lambert, Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Revlon Health Care Group. In 1983 Dr. V founded and financed Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation, in order to satisfy his entrepreneurial spirit while providing medications to those who needed it. He focused primarily on acquiring products from other companies, a strategy created by Ewing Kauffman. Dr. V adopted Kauffman’s strategy and intensified it, in-licensing products, investing in clinical work and selling rights to drugs in countries where Roberts could not directly sell the product. In order to support the company’s growth and its vision, Dr. V went to the public equity markets. The expansion came with a price; Dr. V found he spent 90% of his time reporting on the company’s direction and only 10% of his time developing new drugs.

In September of 1998, Shire Pharmaceuticals acquired Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation. The next year, Dr. V founded WellSpring—a privately-held pharmaceutical company that recognizes the enduring therapeutic value of specialty drugs for smaller groups of patients. The new company offered Dr. V the chance to return to his calling of healing. The result is a corporation focused on quality over quantity.

In October of 2011, WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation was sold to Ancor Capital Partners and Sentinel Capital Partners

WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation offers both prescription medications for niche illnesses and over-the-counter products for various physical issues. While focusing on the production of quality products for small and large audiences alike, the company also offers contract manufacturing through its production plant, as well. This in turn allows the company to fulfill Dr. V’s vision: addressing the needs of many with simple solutions. WellSpring’s privately-owned status provides flexibility with focused accountability, allowing Dr. V the opportunity to attend to his true passion once more.

For an attorney from Montgomery, Alabama and countless others, having Dr. V do what he was trained to do is not only life-saving; it is life affirming.

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