São Paulo, March 2022 – Eurofarma, the leading pharmaceutical company in terms of innovation investments in Brazil, recently reached the milestone of 1,000 molecules developed in its facilities, 350 of which have already been patented. This achievement represents the company’s journey since its foundation, transforming itself into an innovative enterprise capable of following through with its growth strategy and having 10% of its portfolio protected by 2022.

“We are very proud to reach this milestone, mainly because it reflects our propensity for innovation, which is one of our pillars. It is not a single project that generates this kind of achievement, but a legitimate journey that allows us to operate outside our comfort zone. We are at a very promising transition crossroads, when we are no longer just a generic and similar drug company, to a genuinely innovative company,” said Martha Penna, Vice President of Innovation at Eurofarma.

Results

There are many causes responsible for this result that deserve to be highlighted. The first is the company’s vision, which has been increasing investments in research and development, such an important facet of the pharmaceutical sector. In the last five years alone, the company has increased the budget allocated for this purpose by 160%, guaranteeing that this is a perennial front and that it will continue as a priority for the coming years. Strategic planning foresees that 15% of all sales will be reverted to R&D by 2030.

The second cause is Eurofarma’s facilities, with the creation of its first synthesis laboratory in 2018 and Eurolab, the innovation center opened in 2020. The latter, in particular, was born to house Eurofarma’s present as well as its innovative future. The space constitutes an unprecedented structure and ecosystem within the pharmaceutical industry, not only in Brazil, but also in Latin America. There are more than 500 professionals working throughout the R&D areas in an integrated manner, and who have at their disposal state-of-the-art laboratories and even a mini plant. Eurolab has been generating significant results and, for this year, its goal is to double its capacity for developing new products.

Last, but not least, are the great partnerships that the company has had for years with institutions connected to Eurofarma’s business. For the company, sharing the high intellectual and technical potential of startups and universities, which often do not have the opportunity to execute their projects in a real environment, is fundamental, since it is intellectual property that generates the most added value for the company and the country.

An example of a successful partnership is the one with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), through the Laboratory of Evaluation and Synthesis of Bioactive Substances (LASSBio). Since 2019, the goal of this partnership has been to identify new molecules for the development of scientific projects for new drugs. LASSBio is the headquarters of the National Institute of Science and Technology in Drugs and Medicines (INCT-INOFAR) – a network of research groups that articulates multidisciplinary scientific competences in the discovery of new drugs, present in different universities and research centers in the country. Pain, leishmaniasis, inflammation, and depression are some of the main therapeutic areas pursued in this partnership, which has already submitted three provisional patent applications.

Another example is the partnership with Regenera, a startup incubated at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, for a project to explore the Blue Amazon in the area of antimicrobials. The main goal is to explore molecules from the seabed that are not well known and that can generate scientific articles, patents, and potentially even new drugs.

The innovation governance adopted by the company with the entire ecosystem operating in a single space, post-doctoral fellows working in the company and in universities, state-of-the-art equipment, and international partnerships foster Brazilian pharmaceutical innovation, allowing the research and discoveries made in Brazil to leave the universities and be transformed into products and services so that people can live longer and better lives.

About Eurofarma Group 

As the first multinational pharmaceutical enterprise with 100% Brazilian capital, the Eurofarma Group has been operating in the pharmaceutical industry since its establishment in 1972, producing and marketing innovative healthcare products and services to improve people’s quality of life. A very diversified company, Eurofarma operates in all major segments, such as Prescription, Non-Prescription, Generic, Hospital, and Oncology. In Brazil alone, it offers more than 430 products, serves all medical specialties, covering upwards of 200 therapeutic classes, accounting for 80% of the total market.

The Eurofarma Group is present in 20 countries, with 10 manufacturing plants in Latin America. Reported net sales totaled BRL 7 billion in 2021 and the Group employs over 7,600 people.

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