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Chiesi, the international research-focused pharmaceuticals and healthcare Group (Chiesi Group), presented today to the Italian Minister of Economic Development Giancarlo Giorgetti in Rome, the Biotech Center of Excellence Plant project, the new hub for the development of biological products. The investment is 85 million euros and will employ 105 people in highly qualified positions.
The new centre, which will be located next to the current production plant in Parma, Italy, will be operational from 2024. It will use innovative technologies and solutions to ensure maximum environmental sustainability.
“The Biotech Center of Excellence Plant represents a fundamental strategic step for the Group, which aims to create not only an advanced development and production centre in Italy, but a hub of excellence at an international level in the production of biological drugs serving patients – said Alberto Chiesi, President of Chiesi Group -. The objective is to develop innovative therapeutic solutions internally, creating a vertical integration of the process, from cells to the finished product, and attracting the best talent and technical skills from Italy and the globe. The Centre will be open to collaboration and the implementation of synergistic projects with other companies in the sector, so as to become an innovative point of reference for the entire pharmaceutical sector and for our country”.
The development of biological products has continued to increase over the last 10 years: as regards the global market, the sector has grown at an annual rate of more than 12% in the last 30 years and will double by 2030[1].
“The main objective of Chiesi is the health and quality of life of patients and their caregivers. To do this, we are committed to promoting innovative Research & Development activities into which we invest more than 20% of our turnover, approximately 480 million euros in 2021, placing ourselves in first place amongst Italian pharmaceutical companies by number of patents – commented Ugo Di Francesco, CEO of Chiesi Group -. With this project, the Group is entering the field of the production, in Italy, of recombinant proteins, including monoclonal antibodies. A decision that guides us towards the future of medicine and science, but also towards a corporate culture that is increasingly focused on the patient, at every stage of the product development cycle. Finally, a strong message for Italy and the Parma community within which we were founded and where our headquarters is still based”.
The Biotech Center of Excellence Plant will be specialised in the development and production of active ingredients – from the cells to the finished drug – of monoclonal antibodies (produced with recombinant DNA techniques starting from a single type of immune cell) – of enzymes and other proteins, right up to the packaging for a global market.
In addition, in recent years, a series of new strategic partnerships with external partners has contributed to further strengthening this approach. These include partnerships with Moderna, a pioneering biotechnology company in messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapies, for the development of new treatments against arterial pulmonary hypertension; a recent licence agreement with UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative drugs and solutions in the respiratory field, for the development, production, and marketing of a monoclonal antibody against an enzyme associated with fibrotic diseases. Another example of Chiesi’s innovative patient-focused approach is the investment in Cyclica. The Canadian neo-biotechnology company is engaged in research activities aimed at discovering drugs based on an innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that are capable of predicting molecular properties in the R&D phase and drastically reducing the percentages of failures and the amount of time that passes from trial to patient.
About Chiesi Group
Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi is an international research-focused pharmaceuticals and healthcare group with over 85 years’ experience, operating in 30 countries with more than 6,000 employees (Chiesi Group). To achieve its mission of improving people’s quality of life by acting responsibly towards society and the environment, the Group researches, develops and markets innovative therapeutic solutions in its three focus areas: AIR (products and services that promote respiration, from new-born to adult populations), RARE (treatment for patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases) and CARE (products and services that support specialty care and consumer-facing self-care). The Group’s Research and Development centre is based in Parma and works alongside 6 other important research and development hubs in France, the U.S., Canada, China, the UK, and Sweden to pursue its pre-clinical, clinical, and regulatory programmes. Chiesi, since 2019, is the world’s largest B Corp certified pharmaceutical group. The global B Corp movement promotes business as a force for good. Moreover, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. has changed in 2018 its legal status to a Benefit Corporation, by incorporating a double purpose for the creation of shared value, and to generate value for its business, for society and the environment. As a Benefit Corporation, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. is required by law to include objectives of common benefit in its bylaws and to report annually in a transparent way. The Group is committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of 2035.
