Investments are succeeding in the plants that local and international pharmaceutical groups have in Catalonia. Inke, a reference manufacturer of respiratory active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), has just announced an investment of nine million euros to increase the production capacity of its Castellbisbal plant. The objective is to triple the manufacturing volume of the so-called inhalation APIs, that is, the basic components used to produce inhaled medications to treat respiratory diseases.
According to the company, a subsidiary of the Neuraxpharm group, this investment will allow it to respond to the growing global demand for this type of therapies as a consequence of the worsening air pollution in cities and the increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases. Another factor that encourages the consumption of inhalation active ingredients is the aging of the population.
"We hope that the growing global demand for respiratory APIs will allow us to grow as a business and strengthen our position as a leading global supplier in the API market for inhalatory therapies. I am proud, since, with this investment, Inke's plant in the province of Barcelona will be prepared to successfully face the future of the sector," says Miquel Bachs, general director of Inke.
According to the company, 80% of the investment will be executed by the end of this year and the plant is expected to triple its current production volume by 2024. "The micronized inhalation API segment is highly attractive and has high growth potential in the future. I am convinced that this investment will significantly contribute to expanding our leadership position in this market," adds Jörg Thomas Dierks, CEO of the Neuraxpharm group. According to the executive, Inke "is a key supplier for large generic and brand pharmaceutical companies in more than 40 countries."
The Castellbisbal factory has more than 20 years of experience in micronization and particle engineering and works for the European Union, as well as for the United States and also for the demanding Japanese market and other countries such as Korea, China and Turkey. Inke, founded in 1980, produces 34 types of active ingredients, with strong experience in diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Since 2016, Inke has been a subsidiary of Neuraxpharm, a pharmaceutical group specializing in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders owned by the private equity fund Permira. Neuraxpharm was born in 2016, when Apax Partners acquired the Catalan company Invent Farma, made up of Laboratorios Lesvi, Inke and Qualigen, and the German company Neuraxpharm.
A few days ago, another pharmaceutical company specializing in APIs, the Japanese AGC, announced a 90 million euro investment to expand the production capacity of its plant in Malgrat de Mar.