The Secretary General for Industry visits the Pharmaloop plant

  • Mr. Raúl Blanco, Secretary General for Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, visited Pharmaloop’s new sterile liquids plant, located in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid).
  • Pharmaloop is the first fully autonomous pharmaceutical production center in Spain, with a natural gas cogeneration system that creates its own energy.
  • The visit served to reinforce the company’s commitment to product innovation and internationalization with the construction of this 8,500 m² plant, which has also meant the creation of 100 new jobs.

Last April 9, the Secretary General for Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr. Raúl Blanco, visited Pharmaloop’s new sterile liquids plant located in Alcalá de Henares, which, thanks to its advanced technology and production processes, demonstrates the pharmaceutical group’s commitment to the innovation and internationalization of its products.

The Secretary, who was received by Alberto Bueno, CEO of Laboratorios Salvat, Juan de la Fuente, Site Manager of Pharmaloop, and Marisa Poncela, Non-Executive Director of Laboratorios Salvat, was accompanied by Alejandro Cros, Deputy Director General of Industrial Sector Policies, and Carmen Álvarez, Head of the Pharmaceutical Technologies Area.

During the meeting, held two months after the Minister of Industry, Reyes Maroto, visited Pharmaloop, the delegation toured the more than 8,500 m² of the new plant, considered the first fully autonomous pharmaceutical production center in Spain thanks to its cogeneration system that creates its own energy, making it less polluting.

Innovation and internationalization

The project for the new plant in Alcalá de Henares has involved an investment of 65 million euros for Laboratorios Salvat and, together with the current plant, will allow Pharmaloop to have facilities covering more than 23,000 m².

As Alberto Bueno, CEO of Salvat, explains, “with Pharmaloop, we have made a very important commitment to growth at an international level. Thanks to the new plant’s production capacity, we will be present in more markets and we will continue with the expansion strategy started a few years ago which already generates more than half of our annual turnover as a group.”

The international demand for sterile single-dose units is increasing substantially with the Covid-19 pandemic as they are necessary to produce vaccines and other pharmaceutical products. With the plant completed and fully operational, Salvat will have a production potential of 500 million sterile vials per year.

This plant is at the forefront of technology. It is fully automated and uses some of the most advanced systems for drug production such as BFS (Blow, Fill and Seal). Likewise, it applies the most comprehensive quality tests, with 100% of its vials checked to avoid leaks, not just a random sampling of vials as occurs with other control systems.

The company’s forecast is to increase the number of collaborators in the coming months to reach more than 70 countries – it is currently in 60 – and to position itself as a global benchmark in the manufacture of sterile single-dose liquids.

Salvat’s Pharmaloop Invests 65 million Euros in Its New Sterile Liquids Plant, located in Alcalá de Henares

  • The Minister of Industry, Reyes Maroto, visited Salvat’s new facility today, accompanied by the Mayor of Alcalá de Henares, Javier Rodriguez Palacios and Salvat CEO, Alberto Bueno
  • The new 8,500 m² plant is equipped with the most advanced technology, highest quality standards and the capacity to produce more than 350 million units of sterile formulations per year
  • This is the first fully autonomous pharmaceutical production center in Spain, with a cogeneration system that creates its own energy and minimizes pollution
  • The activation of this plant has created over 100 qualified jobs and 30 new hires will be added in the coming months

 

Mr. Javier Rodriguez Palacios, Her Excellency Mrs. Reyes Maroto, Mr. Alberto Bueno

 

The Minister of Industry, Reyes Maroto, visited the Pharmaloop new sterile liquids production plant, in Alcalá de Henares. This plant exemplifies Salvat’s commitment to innovation and local job creation. During the visit, she was accompanied by the Mayor of Alcalá de Henares, Javier Rodriguez Palacios and the CEO of the Salvat Group, Alberto Bueno.

The delegation toured the plant, which is equipped with the highest technology in medical production. The visit also included an in-depth walk through the facility’s laboratory, manufacturing area, automated warehouse and energy cogeneration plant.

This project, now entering its second phase, will reach a total investment of 65 million euros and represents an important commitment to international company growth. Currently, Salvat is present in 60 markets but this new facility will expand its reach to over 70 markets, with special focus on the US, Europe and Asia. Additionally, the new plant will have installations of more than 23.000 m² and will allow Salvat to increase production to 500 million sterile vials per year.

As Alberto Bueno, Salvat’s CEO explains, “With Pharmaloop, we have made a very important commitment to growth at an international level. Thanks to the production capacity of the new plant, we will be present in more markets and we will continue with the expansion strategy started a few years ago, which already generates more than half of our group’s annual turnover”.

 

The new Pharmaloop facility enhances production capabilities for the globe

The objective of the new facility is to produce for the world’s sterile liquids market, primarily North American. In addition to the previous need for single dose formats, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased demand dramatically, as this delivery system is a perfect fit for vaccines and other sterile pharmaceuticals.

“The manufacture of sterile single-dose liquids is a complex process that requires very advanced technology. Pharmaloop is a clear example of our commitment to advanced formulations in innovation, and thanks to this commitment, we will strength our presence internationally, especially in the United States” explains Alberto Bueno, CEO of Group Salvat.

The plant has the most advanced technology in medical production, such as the BFS (Blow, Fill and Seal) system. This formulation has exhaustive quality controls that ensure 100% of the vials are checked to avoid leaks.

 

Smart and sustainable facility

Pharmaloop is an 8,500 m², fully automated and sustainable small building that does not generate atmospheric emissions or noise.

It has a cogeneration system that transforms gas into electrical energy and allows it to operate completely autonomous. It also has a system that recovers the residual heat from the gases to produce hot water and steam.

The new facility has generated the creation of 100 qualified jobs, in addition to the 52 employees who already worked at the plant before its expansion. With this amplification, Salvat increases its production capacity and distinguishes itself as a leader in sterile liquid manufacturing with a truly international focus. The Group’s goal is to continue Salvat’s current growth trajectory with the aim of reaching 100 million euros in turnover. The company’s forecast is to grow by 30 people in the coming months and reach more than 70 countries in order to continue serving customers and patients worldwide.

Salvat Laboratories enters in the chinese market with Cetraxal Plus Clinical Trial

  • Salvat has an agreement with Lee’s Pharmaceuticals to distribute Cetraxal® Plus in China
  • Cetraxal® Plus is the only pharmaceutical product in the world that is available in single-dose vials for external otitis and otitis media. It was launched in 2002 in Spain and is already exported to more than 50 countries
  • The Phase III clinical trial will include 600 patients from 44 hospitals. This process is a necessary step in order to obtain approval for a medicine in China
  • With this project, Salvat reinforces its commitment to the Chinese market, where it has already initiated agreements to commercialize other drugs

Salvat Laboratories (“Salvat”) and Lee’s Pharmaceutical Holding Limited (“Lee’s Pharm”) (SEHK Stock Code:0950) in January 2021, started a the Phase III clinical trial of Salvat’s Cetraxal® Plus otic treatment in China. The study will include 600 patients from 44 centers across the country and will be led by researchers from Fudan University. The trial will be conducted throughout this year, with the expectation of the regulatory approval in 2022.

This clinical trial is the prerequisite for obtaining authorization from the Chinese National Medical Products Administration to market the drug, in their country. Lee’s Pharmaceutical was successful in acquiring the rights from Salvat to sell Cetraxal® Plus in China, in the single-dose vial format.

 
Strategic commitment to the Chinese market

Once approved, this will be the first drug that Salvat markets in China, a market that has become key for the company. “The Chinese market is a market with great growth potential and with a very high demand for health and self-care products. For us, it has already become a strategic market after the US and Europe”, explains Alberto Bueno, CEO of Salvat.
In this regard, the laboratory has already begun negotiations with other companies to present products from its portfolio in China. In the near future, Salvat plans to launch more than five products in this market.

 
The world´s first otic treatment in single-dose vials

Cetraxal® Plus is a treatment for external otitis and otitis media with tympanostomy tubes, which combines an antibiotic and a corticosteroid. This medication was developed by Salvat and approved in Spain in 2002. Authorizations were subsequently obtained in other European countries, followed by the United States and Canada. Cetraxal® Plus is currently exported to more than 50 countries around the world.

The presentation in single-dose vials of Cetraxal® Plus is a very important advantage compared to other treatments available in multidose. This presents several benefits over competitors as it facilitates correct administration with the exact amount of product and maintains sterility of treatment. “At Salvat, our commitment to technology and innovation in drug development allows us to offer increasingly advanced solutions. One of these improvements is the single-dose format, which we manufacture thanks to the BFS (Blow-Fill-Seal) technology that we have in the 3 manufacturing plants owned by the Salvat Group: Salvat (Barcelona), Pharmaloop (Alcalá de Henares, Madrid) and Tamarac (Florida)” explains the CEO of Salvat, Alberto Bueno.

With almost twenty years on the market, Cetraxal® Plus has become one of Salvat’s star products. Every year more than 1,500,000 units are sold in Spain and more than 3,000,000 are exported to other countries.

Cristalmina increases production sevenfold and prepares to launch in international market

  • A new automated robotic line costing more than €6 million has enabled Cristalmina to increase production from 2.5 million to 15 million units per year
  • By 2021, the company plans to have authorisation to market Cristalmina in more than 26 European countries, which will be followed by Asia and the USA in the years to come
  • Laboratorios Salvat’s flagship brand and Spain’s leading antiseptic has tripled in sales in the last seven years and turnover has rocketed from three to nine million euros
  • The pharmaceutical group has manufactured Cristalmina for almost 35 years, which currently accounts for 11% of global turnover

Salvat Pharmaceutical group is making moves to strengthen its international position with Cristalmina, a chlorhexidine-based antiseptic used to protect wounds, burns and the umbilical cord from infection. The product already accounts for 20% of the group’s total turnover in Spain.

In the last seven years, Salvat’s flagship brand has tripled its sales, with turnover increasing from three to nine million euros. Cristalmina is the market leading antiseptic in Spain with sales of almost three million units per year.

Salvat is now preparing an international launch for the end of next year. The pharmaceutical laboratory commissioned a new automated robotic production line six months ago at its Pharmaloop production plant in Alcalá de Henares, to speed up production of Cristalmina. While production was previously limited to 2.5 million units per year, the new line has a capacity to produce 15 million units, most of which will be exported.

According to Alberto Bueno, General Director of Salvat, “The company intends to sell Cristalmina globally, a strategy made possible by the Pharmaloop plant and our new robotic line that is enabling us to manufacture sufficient units to supply international markets”.

The new line will also include a new product presentation, replacing plastic packaging with recyclable glass bottles, thereby improving the group’s environmental performance.

Europe, Asia and the USA

By year end, the regulatory documentation will have been presented to the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) to start the authorisation process for other European countries, which could take up to a year. By 2022, the company expects to be selling Cristalmina in countries like Germany, France, Belgium and Italy, among others. The second phase will take this product to the Asian market where Salvat is already working in China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as the Middle East and North America.

Alberto Bueno said that “Cristalmina is an example of how a commitment to innovation and use of the latest pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies can help Spanish products to achieve international success.”

Imprescindible en los botiquines caseros

Cristalmina was one of the first products launched by Laboratorios Salvat and soon became the choice product for disinfecting minor wounds and burns in both the home and the workplace. It is recommended by health specialists in Spain, since chlorhexidine is the main antiseptic used in both primary care and in hospitals.

One of the products from the Cristalmina range has been widely used for antiseptic purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to protect people against the spread of the virus.