News, Conferences and Congresses
23 - 24 September 2010: The 9 th Annual Contract Pharma 2010. Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick, NJ
Reig Jofré Group will be attending the next Contract Pharma 2010 (23rd and 24th of September) that will take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick (New Jersey)
Part of our Industrial and R&D teams will be there in order to inform about our very interesting on going projects as well as the new developments in our pipeline.
Please come to visits us. We would be delighted to have the opportunity to meet with our existing clients as well as making new business contracts allowing us to introduce our company and offer our products and manufacturing services.
Should you prefer, please do not hesitate to contact before directly with our International Business Director, Mr. Gerardo González (rjexport@reigjofre.com) in order to pre-arrange for a meeting enabling us to fix the appointment in our agenda accordingly.
We look very much forward to meeting you in our stand.
10 Junio 2010: Oryzon y Reig Jofré muestran sus avances en la detección precoz de cáncer de útero en el congreso científico de la American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) en Chicago
Ambas compañías desarrollan esta colaboración desde 2007.
Con ello se convierten en una de las pocas empresas de biotecnología que pueden comercializar sus propios productos.
La compañía biotecnológica catalana Oryzon y la farmacéutica Reig Jofré han presentado a los expertos mundiales en Oncología Clínica los progresos realizados en su proyecto conjunto de detección molecular precoz de cáncer de endometrio.
14 May 2010:
Publicada la Guía Hipoacusias transitorias
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By: Miguel Caballero, PhD
Servicio de Otorrinolaringología. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
Departamento de Cirugía y Especialidades Medicoquirúrgicas. Universidad de Barcelona.
Pubished: Ediciones Mayo, S.A.
Study sponsored by Reig Jofré Group
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20 April 2010: Se celebra la
primera Jornada Técnica del Consorcio ONCOLOGICA El día 13 de Abril de 2010 se celebró la primera Jornada Técnica del Consorcio ONCOLOGICA.
En la sesión, las compañías que forman la agrupación expusieron, en una ronda de ponencias, los avances científicos realizados en 2009.
En la reunión se presentó su web corporativa www.oncologica.es
ONCOLOGICA es un Consorcio constituido por ocho empresas biofarmacéuticas y biotecnológicas de capital mayoritario español, creado para desarrollar un proyecto CENIT centrado en la investigación sobre nuevos métodos de diagnóstico y tratamiento del cáncer.
GEADIC BIOTEC AIE, agrupación constituida en el año 2006 como una joint venture entre Reig Jofré Group y Oryzon Genomics, forma parte del Consorcio ONCOLOGICA.
20-22 April 2010: INTERPHEX 2010, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. New York
REIG JOFRÉ Group, Commercial exhibition, Level 3, stand 110
Ignacio Vilà, PhD Gerardo González
Managing Director Industrial Services International Business Director
15 March 2010:
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Emilia Castellano (Product Manager Dermatology - REIG JOFRÉ Group)
Article published in the journal Farmactual
Nº 32 March - April 2010
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Emilia Castellano (1971) es licenciada en Farmacia por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Desde 2004, ocupa el cargo de Product manager de la línea Dermatología de Reig Jofré. Anteriormente, había trabajado en Antibióticos Farma como Product manager de la línea de antibióticos y, también, formando parte de la red de ventas.
[+ Artículo ...]
1 March 2010:
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By: Enric Jo, PhD (Plant Manager REIG JOFRÉ Group - RJ Barcelona)
Pharmaceutical Technology Europe
Volume 22, Issue 3
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Freeze drying is widely used in pharmaceuticals to improve the long-term storage stability of labile drugs. Most new biotechnology products require a stabilising process (often lyophilisation) where developers use scientific techniques that define the correct parameters for new processes.
Because of the great number of biotechnological products used during the last 20 years, several techniques have been developed to increase knowledge into the lyophilisation process. Stabilisers used in biotechnology products (for the most part proteins) generate formulations difficult for freeze drying.
Often, the use of cryo- and lioprotectors involves using polyols, such as sugars; specific examples being sucrose, maltose, lactose, trehalose and sorbitol. The amorphous behaviour of these sugars (the low glass transition temperature [Tg'] of sorbitol is well known) tends to promote the collapse of the cake. This necessitates a greater knowledge of thermal properties of the product once the suitable formulation is developed.
[+ Artículo RJ ...]
24-26 February 2010: VISIONGAIN, 3rd Annual Lyophilization
Ensuring optimum formulations for pharmaceuticals and biologicals
Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf, Boston, USA.
Main manufacturing challenges in lyophilisation processes
• Main failures with lyophilised production: the real world.
• Integration of quality challenges into cost challenges.
• From basic product knowledge to product release.
RJ speaker
: Enric Jo, PhD
20-22 October 2009: 22nd A3P International Congress. Biarritz
• "Procédé de Lyophilisation: Succès dans le Scale-up".
RJ speaker: Enric Jo, PhD
13-15 October 2009: CPhI Worldwide. in Madrid.
REIG JOFRÉ Group, Commercial exhibition, Hall 8 on stand 8C83
29-30 September 2009: PDA Europe, Pharmaceutical Freeze Drying Technology. Frankfurt.
Is There a Future of Freeze Dried Products?
● "Technologies Topics: Machines and Equipment; IPCs and Test Methods; Container, Components and Devices; Handling of Freeze Dried Products".
RJ coordinator: Enric Jo, PhD
15-17 Septiembre 2009: VISIONGAIN, 2nd Annual Lyophilisation in London, at BSG Conference center.
- "Main Manufacturing Challenges in a Lyophilization Processes".
RJ speaker: Nerea García
- Panel Discussion: State of art in Lyophilization Technology.
RJ coordinator: Enric Jo, PhD
14 July 2009: Grupo Reig Jofré da el salto internacional a través de la compra de Bioglan AB, laboratorio farmacéutico en Suecia, especializado en el área dermatológica, por un importe de € 7MM.
Reig Jofré da un fuerte impulso a su vocación internacional al haber comprado el laboratorio farmacéutico sueco Bioglan AB, especializado en el área dermatológica y las licencias de comercialización de nueve especialidades farmacéuticas de Bioglan Pharma AB, actualmente comercializadas en Suecia. Noruega, Dinamarca e Islandia. El importe de la operación ha ascendido a € 7MM y permitirá al Grupo RJ contar con un equipo de I+D e instalaciones productivas propias en el extranjero, así como una cartera de productos propios en los mercados escandinavos. La operación ha sido financiada con recursos propios y a través de deuda de las principales entidades financieras con las que el Grupo RJ tiene relación.
El Grupo farmacéutico Reig Jofré sigue con su plan estratégico a largo plazo y compra un laboratorio farmacéutico en el sur de Suecia, en la localidad de Malmö, por un importe de € 7MM. Dicha inversión representa una presencia estable por parte del Grupo RJ fuera de España, más allá de su actividad exportadora que, vía socios comerciales y licencias, representa a día de hoy un 30% de la facturación del Grupo. Además, constituye una inversión estratégica al enmarcarse dentro del área de conocimiento de la dermatología, apuesta de futuro del Grupo a medio plazo. A través de la compra del laboratorio sueco, RJ contará por primera vez con capacidad de investigación, producción y comercialización directa fuera de España.
Bioglan AB y Bioglan Pharma AB, pertenecen a la multinacional sueca Midelfart Sonesson, la cual ha decidido desinvertir en Bioglan AB y vender 9 especialidades de Bioglan Pharma AB, por tratarse de una inversión no estratégica, no enmarcada en su core business. Midelfart Sonesson está focalizado en el desarrollo, producción y comercialización de productos bien establecidos en los mercados de la alimentación, salud y bienestar, productos naturales, higiene y tos y resfriado. Cotiza en la Bolsa de Valores de Suecia.
RJ ve en la compra de Bioglan AB y de las marcas de Bioglan Pharma AB importantes sinergias: un equipo de investigación que pasará a investigar y desarrollar nuevos productos que serán susceptibles de ser explotados por todo el Grupo RJ, la posibilidad de traer a España productos de Bioglan AB y exportar productos de RJ para su comercialización directa en los países nórdicos. Bioglan AB ha desarrollado una actividad importante en investigación y desarrollo de productos dermatológicos para terceros muy ligada al establecimiento de Medicon Valley, cluster del sector Bio-médico concentrado en el sur de Suecia y Dinamarca.
El conjunto de Bioglan AB y de las marcas de los 9 productos de Bioglan Pharma AB, tuvo unas ventas en el 2008 de € 7,6MM. El laboratorio sueco tiene una plantilla de 50 personas que se incorporarán al Grupo RJ.
Dentro de la cartera de productos adquiridos se encuentran: Microcid (agua oxigenada en pomada), Synalar (corticoide en pomada), Metosyn (corticoide en pomada) y Capsina (pomada post herpes).
17-20 June 2009 : 37th National Dermatology and Veneorology Congress.
Madrid. MEDEA Laboratories, Commercial exhibition. Stand No. 10
16 April 2009 : IMA-Edwards, in Barcelona.
- "General Insight on Issues Related with Freeze Drying Processes in Industrial Manufacturing".
RJ speaker: Enric Jo, PhD
2 April 2009 : PDA Europe, Interest Group Meeting: Freeze Drying, in Frankfurt Sheraton Offenbach Hotel. Am Büsing Palais I Berliner Str.111- 63065 Offenbach
- "Determination of the sublimation rate for the optimisation of primary drying". RJ speaker: Laura Noguera
- "Proposals to define a working structure in the European Interest Group of Freeze Drying".
RJ speaker: Enric Jo, PhD
3-4 December 2008: ISPE Conference. Lyophilisation: Scientific Issues of the Process an Introduction to Risk-based Approach, in Barcelona, Spain
- "Successful scale up from R&D to Production (Case Study)".
RJ speaker: Enric Jo, PhD
23-24 September 2008: PDA Europe, Pharmaceutical Freeze Drying Technology, in Brussels, Belgium.
- "Parameters Characterization of a lyophilisation Cycle".
RJ speaker: Enric Jo, PhD
11-14 June 2008: 36th National Dermatology and Veneorology Congress. Barcelona. Laboratorios MEDEA. Commercial exhibition.
21 November 2007: Reig Jofré Group invests € 6 million in a new freeze-drying unit for sterile products for injection and to extend the liquids area in the Sant Joan Despí plant.
3 years after the extension of the freeze-drying unit, RJ invests in a new plant, which will increase its current production capacity by a factor of three. The investment has been financed with own funds and funds from outside sources, with the support of the Institut Català de Finances (ICF).
In 2007 Group Reig Jofré began its most recent Investment Plan, starting with the construction of a new sterile freeze-drying plant at its facilities in Sant Joan Despí, Barcelona This was aimed at satisfying increasing capacity demands by clients, and was related to the specialisation of RJ in the Development and licencing of products globally. Such products being manufactured at the production facilities in Barcelona and Toledo. As a result of this investment RJ is now one of the main European producers of lyophilised products having increased its capacity threefold and servicing client demands from multinationals throughout the world market.. This strategic investment has enabled the Group to concentrate activities into specific market niches which generate high added value and require in depth knowledge and expertise in the lyophilsation process.
The two freeze-dryers previously installed (GT100 and GT150) are supplemented by the addition of two new freeze-dryers (GT200 and GT300) .Additionally the R & D team has a pilot scale machine which accurately simulates the industrial scale process and allows small scale development work to be effectively undertaken.
This investment has resulted in the capability to produce an additional 5.5 million units pa of sterile vials for injection. Major products include Aciclovir and Omeprazole. The Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona) facility has more than 210 employees – 30 of whom belong to the R&D team, and services more than 80 clients. Currently, 10% of the facility’s sales are exported, mainly to the EU. This will rise to 30% with the new freeze-drying capability.
Additionally liquids production capacity has also been increased by more tha 35% together with process and facilty improvements.
18 June 2007: The Reig Jofré Group reacquisition 40% of Sodicaman’s shares in RJ Cefas
5 years after the creation of the company, a plant is consolidated internationally, employing more than 25 people, with a production of 7 million units a year.
Reig Jofré Group has recently taken over 100% of the company RJ Cefas, after repurchasing 40% of the shares from its partner Sodicaman (Corporation for the Industrial Development of Castilla-La Mancha). Both companies established RJ Cefas together in the year 2002. According to the CEO of RJ Group, Ignasi Biosca, ‘the operation has been a complete success: 26 jobs created, 7 million units produced a year, with sales to clients in Europe and the rest of the world, after consolidating the RJ Cefas injectable cephalosporin antibiotics plant internationally…’.
In June 2002, RJ Cefas was established by RJ Group (60%) and Sodicaman (40%), with the aim of building a new plant in Toledo to produce sterile injectable cephalosporin antibiotics. RJ already had a plant in Toledo where it produces beta-lactam antibiotics, which are technically incompatible with the production of cephalosporin antibiotics. For this reason, the new plant was built next to the previous existing one. After the agreement was made between both partners, RJ Group has acquisitioned the rest of the shares and has become the full owner of RJ Cefas. SODICAMAN’s shares were co-financed by the FEDER (Spanish Federation for Rare Diseases).
Juan Ramón Durán, Chairman of Sodicaman, said, ‘...Based on the positive experience of the investment in the Toledo plant, in which 26 jobs have been created and more than 3 million euros have been invested, and because Reig Jofré has new investment projects planned, we are studying new ways of continuing to collaborate and carry out a new investment at the Toledo plant…’
23 February 2007: Jofré and Oryzon Genomics join together to work on research for cancer diagnosis.
The pharmaceutical groups Reig Jofré and Oryzon Genomics announce an agreement for the development of early diagnosis and prognosis of endometrial cancer.
The pharmaceutical groups Reig Jofré and Oryzon Genomics announce an agreement for the development of early diagnosis and prognosis of endometrial cancer.
The agreement will require an investment of almost two million euros over the next three years for the different stages, and will enable the companies to advance in the process of diagnosing endometrial cancer. The agreement is made official with the creation of Geadic Biotec for a coordinated development of this project.
Cancer of uterus is the fourth most common type of cancer in women, and the most frequent gynaecological type of cancer. The incidence of this type of cancer in the Western world was about 81,000 new cases in 2005 in the five main countries in the EU and USA.
Endometrial cancer is most common in post-menopause women, and an early diagnosis product will serve as a medical tool that will be useful in high- and medium-risk population who are susceptible to screening. This population would basically include post-menopause women who show vaginal bleeding, women with certain mutations relating to DNA repair genes and certain forms of colorectal cancer, and women who already suffered breast cancer and were treated with tamoxifen.
Despite early detections improving, the current diagnosis systems based on ultrasounds have low levels of sensitivity and specificity. Consequently, invasive and expensive biopsies have to be carried out in order to get a final diagnosis. The product to be developed will provide an effective screening tool while the use of vaccinations against the papilloma virus (one of the reasons known to cause cervical cancer) is becoming more generalised. The use of this vaccination has been approved recently and its epidemiological effects will take at least one generation to become evident.
The estimated market for a diagnosis product of this kind is at 250 million euros.
According to Carlos Buesa, CEO of Oryzon, “the latest advances in genomics, proteomics and computational biology open the door to identifying biomarkers, which are the base for developing new early diagnosis and non-invasive products for patients. Early detection is still the best resource oncologists and surgeons have to treat neoplastic diseases. Collaborating with REIG JOFRE, a specialised company with sound knowledge of this market niche, is a fundamental reinforcement for our strategic investment in Molecular Diagnosis research. It is the first equal alliance between Oryzon and a pharmaceutical company, and therefore it is a qualitative landmark in the development of our alliance and co-development strategy with the pharmaceutical industry.’
Ignasi Biosca, CEO of Reig Jofré Group, commented, ‘these new tools enable us to promote early diagnosis and, therefore, to reduce noticeably the mortality risk linked with this disease. Reig Jofré Group is working hard in the field of gynaecology and advanced therapies in general. The agreement with Oryzon Genomics also enables us to start working in the field of biotechnology, which is an important area for the pharmaceutical industry for the future, working together with a leading and dynamic company like Oryzon, with a similar company culture to RJ.’
The co-development project will last about three years in its R&D stage, with the collaboration of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and internationally-renowned clinical specialists. It will involve a combined analysis of hundreds of tumour samples, by genomics and proteomics, which will be studied by a multidisciplinary team of up to twenty researchers from the different groups involved. The project will be focused both on early diagnosis and prognosis.
Carlos Buesa and Ignasi Biosca