News, Conferences and Congresses
January 31, 2012: 2012 GPhA Annual Meeting and Business Exposition
JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes. Orlando, Florida
Reig Jofré Group will be attending the next GPhA Annual Meeting 2012 (February 22 - 24) that will take place at the JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes (Orlando, FL).
Part of our Industrial and R&D teams will be there in order to inform about or very interesting in going projects 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.
October 20, 2011:
CPhI Worldwide 2011. Messe Frankfurt, GermanyReig Jofré Group exhibit at ICSE (CPhI) in Frankfurt 25 to 27 October, 2011
Visit us at Stand 41D40
RJ Speaker:
- "Transfer & Scale Up for a Freeze Dried in CMO" - Patricia Rodríguez - Transfer Technology Manager RJ Barcelona.
October 13, 2011:
2011 PDA Europe Pharmaceutical Freeze Dryng Technology25 - 28 October 2011 - Hotel Icaria Barcelona. Barcelona - Spain
Parenteral Drug Association celebrates its annual European meeting on Lyophilization on the following 25-28 October 2011.
Reig Jofré Group will participate in the event, that will take place in Hotel Icaria Barcelona. Barcelona - Spain
During the Conference a visit of the RJ Barcelona site will be carried out.
RJ Speakers:
- "Implementation of QbD to develop the Lyophilization Cycle for an Antiviral Product". - Enric Jo, PhD - Director Plant RJ Barcelona
- "Transfer & Scale Up for a Freeze Dried Product in a CMO". - Nerea García - Production Manager RJ Barcelona
[+ Program .PDF]
September 15, 2011: Oryzon announces the commercialization of its first genetic test in collaboration with Reig Jofré
Oryzon's first own product on the market will be GynEC-Dx, a new system for the early detection of cervical cancer, jointly developed with Laboratorio Reig Jofré and for which marking authorization is scheduled for January 2012.
August 29, 2011: Contract Pharma 2011 - 10th Annual Contracting & Outsourcing Conference & Tabletop Exhibition
Hyatt Regency New Brunswick, NJ
Reig Jofré Group will be attending the next Contract Pharma 2011 (22rd and 23th 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 in 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.
July 29, 2011: VISIONGAIN - 5 th Lyophilisation
Conference Centre, London, UK
"Optimising technologies & techniques for stability, delivery and longevity of pharmaceuticals and biologics"
Reig Jofré Group will be attending the next Visiongain ( 7 - 9 September ) that will take place at the Visiongain Conference Centre in London
It is a three day strategic conference lead by experts to provide participants with a thorough review of every aspect of lyophilisation processes through workshop, sessions, case studies and panel discussions.
RJ Speaker: Enric Jo, PhD - Director Plant RJ Barcelona
"First approach applying QbD in a scale-up of a lyophilisation cycle for an antiviral product".
[ + Web Visiongain ]
[ + Program .PDF ]
15 Julio 2011: El Ajuntament de Sant Joan Despí distingue a Reig Jofré
El pasado 22 de Junio las autoridades municipales del Ayuntamiento de Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona) hicieron entrega a Reig Jofré del Galardón como reconocimiento a su trayectoria empresarial.
La Fiesta Mayor de Sant Joan Despí ha sido el marco del acto de reconocimiento público que la ciudad hace anualmente a personas i entidades que han destacado en los diferentes campos de la actividad social, deportiva, económica, educativa y cultural.
Uno de los premiados ha sido el Laboratorio Reig Jofré, fundado en 1929 en Barcelona, hace más de 10 años que están en Sant Joan Despí y es uno de los grupos industriales líderes en el sector farmacéutico europeo.
Alex García Reig, director financiero de Reig Jofré Group, recogió el premio.
Foto de Familia de los premiados. Dcha. Alex García Reig recogió el premio.
[ + Descargar la noticia .PDF][ Enlace al vídeo ]
June 9, 2011: BIO Washington 2011, Walter E. Washington Convention Center (United States)
The world's most important convention for the biotechnology sector takes place this year in the capital of USA, Washington DC, from 27-30 June. Washington DC, one of the major life sciences hub, has grown considerably over the past few years. Reig Jofré Group participates as an exhibitor: Booth 3237-12.
May 23, 2011: Reig Jofré Group, Ediciones Mayo 2011 Award for the Best International Career
Last May 19 th, the Palau de la Música Catalana (music hall) in Barcelona hosted the 24 th edition of the Ediciones Mayo 2011 Awards. This event, organized by the publishing company Ediciones Mayo with the collaboration of the journals Siete Días Médicos and El Farmacéutico, publicly recognized ten people and entities which, during the course of the year or due to their personal career, had contributed to improve the fields of pharmacy, medicine, nursing, the pharmaceutical industry and the communication media.
This 24 th edition was hosted by Josep M. Torres i Jordi, CEO of Ediciones Mayo. Accompanying him and presiding over the ceremony was Boi Ruiz, the Minister of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya; Jordi de Dalmases, Chairman of the Association of Pharmacists of Barcelona; Miguel Vilardell, Chairman of the Consell Assessor of the Generalitat de Catalunya and of the Physicians Association of Barcelona; and José Mayoral, President of Ediciones Mayo.
Best International CareerReig Jofré Group received the Best International Career, a prize that recognizes the strong commitment of the Group to internationalize its business, making it one of the largest pharmaceutical companies offering R&D services in Europe. Currently the Group has a presence in over 40 countries, producing 50% of its total international business. RJ Group manufactures for 160 laboratories all around the world at its Spanish production facilities, and since 2009 also Malmö, Sweden with the acquisition of RJ Bioglan. In R&D, the Group continues its commitment to biotechnology. Along these lines, coming to market this year will Oryzon Genomics and investigators at the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, and phase II of the RUTI vaccine for tuberculosis, with the collaboration with Archivel Farma. The CEO of Reig Jofré Group, Ignasi Biosca, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
[ + El Farmacéutico link: Video interview with Ignasi Biosca ]
May 2, 2011: Reig Jofré creates a biotechnology services company
The laboratory started the process to commercialize its first product in U.S. and allies with the swedish medical technology firm Nares.
News article published in Expansión
Section: Pharmacy
Author: Cristina Fontgivell
May, 2 2011
[ + News article .PDF ]
April 27, 2011:
Reig Jofré continues its commitment to biotechnology
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News article published in La Gaceta
Section: Health
April 27, 2011 - Pag. 23
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March 26, 2011:
Reig Jofré focuses its R&D toward the biotechnological sector
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News article published in La Vanguardia
Section: Economy
Author: Rosa Salvador
March 25, 2011 - Pag. 79
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January 26, 2011:
Article published "Molecular markers of endometrial carcinoma detected in uterine aspirates"
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Article published in the International Journal of Cancer.
January 4, 2011
By: Oryzon, Reig Jofré and Hospital de la Vall d'Hebron.
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We present the discovery of molecular biomarkers of endometrical carcinoma and describe their utility in uterine aspirates. These findings represent the basis for the development of a highly sensitive and specific minimally invasive method for screening endometrial carcinomas.
January 18, 2011: Reig Jofré, Fabricantes farmacéuticos con vocación biotecnológica
News article published in the supplement to El Periódico de Catalunya: Biotecnología
January 3, 2011: "Cáncer, vacunas y biotecnología, alternativas para Reig Jofré"
News article published in Diario Médico
La compañía familiar española Reig Jofré cuenta con una presencia consolidada en el campo de los antibíoticos, de los que produce 40 millones de dosis anuales. La producción a terceros y las nuevas áreas de investigación consolidad su proyecto para garantizar el futuro.
Diario Médico
[ + Descargar noticia .PDF ]
December 2, 2010: Fòrum Biocat 2010. Casa Llotja de Mar. Barcelona
Trobada anual amb els representants de les empreses i entitats del sector biotecnològic, biomèdic i de les tecnologies mèdiques de Catalunya amb l'objectiu de fomentar la col.laboració conjunta en la innovació.
REIG JOFRÉ BIOTECH SERVICES participa en el espai d'exposició.
November 29, 2010: PDA 2010 Pharmaceutical Feeze Drying Workshop. Current Science and Technology of Lyophilization. November 17 - 18, 2010. Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina - San Diego
November 25, 2010:
Reig Jofré focuses on the U.S.
The pharmaceutical company Reig Jofré has achieved a business milestone this year: it has reached 100 million Euros in sales. For next year, it is preparing another one: to enter the U.S. market, the top market in the world for the pharmaceutical industry. The company, based in Sant Joan Despí - Barcelona, has acquired a contract to manufacture antibiotics for the U.S. and is working to present the registration dossier in January to get FDA approval.
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News article published in La Vanguardia
Author: Rosa Salvador
November 25, 2010
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La Vanguardia
[ + News article .PDF ]
November 25, 2010:
Guaranteeing a Quality Scale-upEnric Jo at Reig Jofré Group provides a detailed account of a first approach for applying
quality by design in a scale-up of a lyophilisation cycle for an antiviral product
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By: Enric Jo, PhD (Plant Manager REIG JOFRÉ Group - RJ Barcelona)
Article published in the journal PMPS
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Packing Sourcer
November 2010 - Page 62
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[ + RJ article .PDF ]
October 19 - 22, 2010: 55 Congreso Nacional de la Sociedad Española de Farmacia Hospitalaria (SEFH). Madrid
Laboratorio Sala, Reig Jofré Group, participa en el 55 Congreso Nacional de la Sociedad Española de Farmacia Hospitalaria (SEFH) que se celebra del 19 al 22 de Octubre de 2010 en Madrid.
Exposición comercial. Stand nº 49
[ Ver mapa ]
Stand Laboratorio Sala Carmen Bejar y Emilia Castellano
October 16, 2010: Grupo Reig Jofré celebra el décimo aniversario de su centro de producción de Toledo
Es una de las plantas más avanzadas de Europa dedicada a la fabricación de antibióticos como penicilinas y cefalosporinas.
El centro de producción del Grupo farmacéutico Reig Jofré en Toledo celebra estos días su décimo aniversario. En estos años, se ha consolidado como una de las más avanzadas de Europa por su alta tecnología, calidad productiva y capacidad de fabricación, ya que cada año produce más de 40 millones de dosis de antibióticos con penicilina y cefalosporina.
October 5-7, 2010: CPhI Worldwide 2010. París Nord Villepinte. Francia
Reig Jofré Group interviene en la CPhI 2010, que se celebra los días 5, 6 y 7 de Octubre de 2010 en París Nord Villepinte (Francia).
Localización en la Exposición Comercial: Área ICSE - Stand 4F86
Ponente RJ: Gemma Lahuerta
September 28, 2010: Laboratorio Orravan, Reig Jofré Group, launches Amnioplus H2O water paste
Laboratorio Orravan, Reig Jofré Group, reinforces its OTC - Consumer HealthCare product portfolio with Amnioplus H2O water paste.
Amnioplus H2O water paste is a specially-formulated product to prevent, alleviate and treat diaper dermatitis.
September 27, 2010: Laboratorio Orravan, Reig Jofré Group, ha celebrado las Jornadas Formativas de Ciclo a nivel nacional con su Red Comercial en las que ha presentado su nuevo producto
Durante la segunda quincena de Septiembre Laboratorio Orravan, Reig Jofré Group, ha celebrado las Jornadas Formativas de Ciclo con su Red Comercial, en las que ha presentado su nuevo producto Amnioplus H2O pasta al agua.
Laboratorio Orravan, División OTC - Consumer HealthCare de Reig Jofré Group, ha celebrado las Jornadas Formativas de Ciclo con su Red Comercial, en las que se han impartido clases de formación sanitaria y establecido las líneas de actuación y atención farmacéutica a seguir.
Dentro de estas Jornadas de trabajo la Compañía presentó a su Equipo Comercial su nuevo producto.
Siendo muy bien acogido por los participantes, que mostraron interés por las ventajas y beneficios terapéuticos que aporta el nuevo producto.
Amnioplus H2O pasta al agua es un producto resultado del trabajo y experiencia en dermatología de su Departamento de I+D, disciplina en la que Reig Jofré Group es especialista.
Amnioplus H2O es una pasta al agua para la Dermatitis del pañal.
Laborarorio Orravan tiene su Sede Central en las instalaciones que tiene RJ en Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona).
Su teléfono de Atención al Cliente es el + 93 480 67 00. ( 8:00 a 14:00 horas ). Donde atenderán e informarán sobre cualquier consulta relacionada con Amnioplus H2O pasta al agua y le pondrán en contacto con los Delegados territoriales.
Jornadas Formativas de la Red Comercial de Laboratorio Orravan: Presentación Amnioplus H2O pasta al agua
September 23 - 24, 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.
June 10, 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.
April 20, 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.
April 20 - 22, 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
March 15, 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 ...]
March 1, 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 ...]
February 24-26, 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
October 20 - 22, 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
RJ speaker: Mrs. Mercè Pujol
September 29 - 30, 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 September 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
July 14, 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. Laboratorios MEDEA, 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
April 2, 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…’
February 23, 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