PHARMACEUTICALS

The Spanish pharmaceutical sector, which constitutes around 20% of R&D investments in the country, continues with its goal to produce more effective and affordable therapeutic remedies.

Inés Juste PRESIDENT, GRUPO JUSTE

85% OF OUR sales take place abroad, so we are a truly international company. Operating for over 40 years in the field of contract media, delivering from large multinationals to local pharmaceutical companies can only be achieved by delivering the highest quality in product and service. On a national level, our pharma division serves hospitals with finished products for contrast media applications—we recently added new products to our portfolio and continue to search for new contrast agents that can better fit patients’ requirements. Most of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) that we manufacture are relatively mature products in all contrast media. Two years ago, we installed a new production line for API dedicated to MRI Contrast Media, where we see continuous growth globally because of the increased utilization of MRI techniques in diagnostic imaging and the growth of preventive medicine. Our facility is state of the art and includes unique production innovations that allow us to deliver the highest quality standards.

Javier Hidalgo Ortega PRESIDENT & CEO, MEIJI PHARMA SPAIN

OUR MISSION has always been to create a healthier world by sharing all our developments in terms of health. In order to achieve our objectives, we develop our activity both in local and international markets, where exports play a significant role. In addition, we produce drugs for other companies. Antibiotic production focuses on three areas, representing approximately 45% of our total sales. Our antibiotics are important both on a local and international level. At an international level, we produce antibiotics in Spain and distribute them to more 35 countries, including Japan. This plant complies with all regulatory agencies’ requirements in order to distribute our products in other countries. One of our short-term objectives is to adapt our activity to the current situation. In addition, we would like Meiji Pharma Spain to be a comfortable working environment. This means any worker that starts working in the morning with a positive attitude is able to maintain it despite hard work and pressure. Finally, we aim to reduce our CO2 emissions by 2050.

Héctor Ara PRESIDENT, SUANFARMA

SUANFARMA focuses on the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are the raw materials for making drugs. We have raw materials for prescription drugs that have active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as raw materials for nutraceutical products that do not require a prescription. In recent years, we have mainly focused on being a supplier of raw materials to pharmaceutical or nutraceutical laboratories so that they can manufacture drugs. SUANFARMA, through the SUANFARMA Biotech fund, was recognized as pioneers in biotechnology investment funds in Spain in 2008. We raised EUR9 million and invested in nine Spanish research projects. We have pushed ahead some of the most remarkable projects in the country in biotechnology. In the world of drug development, there are three basic technologies: fermentation, chemical synthesis, and extraction. Our intention is to be the only company in the world that covers these three basic technologies to develop drugs.

Rafael Mella VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHERN & WESTERN EUROPE, NORDIC PHARMA

WE STARTED in the area of gynecology, but in 2017, we launched two medicines for rheumatoid arthritis. The active ingredient had been around for a long time, but we put it in devices that were innovative, because they were safer, easier to handle, and less painful. First, we launched a pre-filled syringe with a retractable needle system. After that, we launched an autoinjector, the first of its kind to be marketed in Spain. Some 96% of our sales are in the rheumatology area, and in these last seven years the Spanish subsidiary has grown both in terms of structure and weight. In terms of invoicing, we have become one of the main affiliates in Europe. The company is clear about wanting to be in hospital markets, as these are niches in which a small company like ours can compete. The three therapeutic areas Nordic Pharma focuses on are rheumatology, gynecology, and critical care, which depends on the country. We want to branch out because we need to achieve a significant critical mass in other therapeutics areas.