Innoaesthetics invests 30 million in a laboratory to increase its production by 200%

Advances in the field of aesthetic medicine and surgery have multiplied in recent years, making it possible to perform procedures that were impractical until a few years ago and increasingly less invasive surgeries. To accompany the sector's growth, Innoaesthetics, a company specializing in aesthetic medicine and dermatology, has inaugurated its new laboratory, which required an investment of 30 million euros. With it, it adds 2,000 square meters to its plant in Sant Just Desvern, and expects to increase its manufacturing capacity by 40% this year.

The new laboratory is the culmination of a family business with 125 years of history, since in 1898 Dr. Antonio Fita, great-grandfather of Fernando Bouffard ---fourth generation at the helm of the company and current CEO---, opened a pharmacy in the Catalan capital. In 1934, the pharmacist's son was responsible for expanding the family business, creating a laboratory to develop custom formulas for doctors and professionals.

"Innovation has always been present in the company's DNA, from my great-grandfather's small apothecary, which already proved to be an innovative pharmacy when it came to creating master formulas for doctors, to the present day, as the clinical trials department continues to be a fundamental part of the company," emphasizes the current CEO. Bouffard took over the management of the family laboratory in a significant year for Barcelona, in 1992, when the city was experiencing a period of growth and changes as it became the capital hosting the Olympic Games.

In parallel with Barcelona's rise as a city, the laboratory began an internationalization process, which accelerated in 1997, with the launch of Anestop, the first topical anesthetic treatment on the market. Another of the company's great successes was the Meline product line, created in 2016, which offers depigmenting treatments that reduce skin spots or redness, customized according to the type of spot, skin, or affected body part.

Currently, the company works in three lines: a first range of aesthetic dermatology products, which includes depigmentation treatments, and another line of aesthetic cosmetics, within which peeling products for aging or acne stand out. Finally, the laboratory also has products for sanitary use such as, for example, hyaluronic acid injectables, both for aesthetic application and, in the future, for the field of traumatology and ophthalmology. With this variety of products, the company has a presence in more than 80 countries, and registers strong growth in Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

The new plant, called MEDLab Center, has two specialized laboratories, one for the medical devices developed by the company and the other for cosmetic products. With these new spaces, which are already in operation, the company expects to increase its production by 40% in the short term and, within a period of three years, to increase its manufacturing by 200%.

This increase in production capacity aims to accompany the growth in sales and turnover that the company has been registering for a decade, as it has accumulated ten years of double-digit annual growth. In fact, Innoaesthetics closed 2024 with a turnover of 28 million euros, a figure that represents an 18% growth compared to its previous fiscal year.

Regarding predictions for this year, Bouffard is cautious about the expected growth, as he foresees an unstable year, marked by trade wars and tariffs. "The market is reacting very conservatively when it comes to placing orders or buying new equipment, influenced by the bad news coming from the Middle East, the Persian Gulf or the United States, but we have indications to ensure that this year we will maintain double-digit growth, following the trend that the company has experienced, year after year, for a decade," Bouffard highlights.

The new laboratory, however, not only responds to the need to double the company's production capacity, but also serves to centralize its departments. Thus, the plant also has the R&D department and the clinical trials unit, which examines the safety and efficacy of the different products. The company has just launched its latest range of products, Inno-Exoma, the first synthetic alternative to exosomes (extracellular vesicles that transport messages between different cells) without animal or plant origin developed in Europe, which is applied in facial rejuvenation treatments.

In addition, the new laboratory also has a training center, called The Skin Academy, designed for external professionals to improve their knowledge on how to combine the company's different products or how to obtain the best results on the skin, while sharing their experience with other professionals in the sector. Currently, the center trains about a hundred groups of doctors, each of which is made up of between 20 and 40 doctors. In total, about 110 employees work in the company's facilities in Sant Just Desvern, including about 16 professionals hired this past year.