The communication agency, Evercom, has launched the study: “The Catalan pharmaceutical industry”, a report that traces the origins of this industry at an international and local level, dwelling in detail on the trajectory and success of companies that have managed to position Catalonia as a leading community in the pharmaceutical sector.
Today, this autonomous community stands out for hosting 79 of the 173 factories in this sector with a presence in Spain, in addition to being the community where around 60% of pharmaceutical products are produced. On the other hand, the city of Barcelona concentrates the majority of specialized institutional investors in the health sector. With this, and added to an ecosystem made up of universities, research centers, hospitals, start-ups and specialized investment funds, it is not surprising that the city of Barcelona has all the elements of the value chain to achieve success in the pharmaceutical and health sector.
The report analyzes the start, development and success of Laboratories Esteve, Ferrer, Grupo Uriach, Almirall, Laboratorio Reig Jofré, Hipra, Grifols and Werfen, leading Catalan companies that not only share a leadership position within the national pharmaceutical industry – thanks to the development of products such as Almax, Biodramina, Fave de Fuca or the development of the vaccine against Covid-19 – but also their main characteristic: all they are companies born in the Catalan family bosom. These companies have managed to evolve and advance to compete with world-renowned laboratories such as Johnson & Johnson, Roche Group, Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis, Merck, GlaxoS-mithKline or Sanofi (according to data collected from the Best Pharma Brands ranking prepared by Firmsworld).
On the other hand, the spirit of service to others added to the high interest in research and issues related to 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, enhances the recognition, reputation and prestige of these pharmaceuticals locally and internationally. “We promote a new way of doing business and being in the world. The pharmaceutical business is not an end in itself, but a means to generate substantial social changes. (Ambien) We work to achieve a minimum level of economic profitability that guarantees the sustainability of the company and thus reinvest a part of its profits in initiatives with a social and environmental impact, and in its people”affirm from Ferrer.
The digital transformation of the pharmacy
The study, which also includes the vision of companies such as Farmaindustria and Laboratorios Esteve, does not leave aside the future challenges facing this sector: digital transformation, collaboration between industry and regulatory bodies, improvement in patient care, the needs of patients and the safeguarding of the environment are some of the horizons contemplated in the report prepared by the creative communication and marketing agency.
In the words of Maria Àngels Valls, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer at Laboratorios Esteve: “The main challenge to continue growing is to continue focusing on the coverage of unmet health needs, to continue betting on innovation in specialized medicine, and supporting the generation of employment and access to health.”
On behalf of evercom, Lola Estevan, Director of the agency’s office in Barcelona, does not hesitate to state that: “Catalonia is a community with a strong pharmaceutical tradition, where a large part of the main players in the sector are located. In addition, pharmaceutical laboratories, hospital operators or medical societies have a very relevant role in the Catalan business fabric and have become a true economic engine. for the whole of the Spanish territory”.
