Eurofarma and UFRJ sign unprecedented scientific and technical cooperation agreement in Brazil
Published in: May 22, 2019
and updated in: November 4, 2021
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Sao Paulo, May 22, 2019 – The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), through the Laboratory of Evaluation and Synthesis of Bioactive Substances (LASSBio), has announced an unprecedented partnership in Brazil to identify new molecules in order to develop scientific projects for new drugs. LASSBio is the headquarters of the National Institute of Science and Technology for Drugs and Medicines (INCT-INOFAR) – a research network that articulates the scientific competences related to the area found in different Universities and Research Centers around the Country.
The agreement between Universities and the pharmaceutical industry has as its purpose to establish a technical and scientific partnership to promote the research and development of innovative medicines and human resource qualification, in addition to fostering technology absorption and transfer. “We are starting a unique partnership in Brazil, from which the entire pharmaceutical innovation chain will benefit. Today, universities have an idea, develop projects and create knowledge, but all that ends up in a renowned scientific publication. With this new model, the pharmaceutical industry will be able to develop new medicines, which will be available to patients. And the involved universities will receive resources derived from all the work to be developed, which will further foment knowledge and new discoveries”, explained Professor Eliezer Barreiro, Scientific Coordinator at LASSBio / ICB-UFRJ and INCT-INOFAR.
Pain, Leishmaniasis, inflammation and depression are the first selected targets for this partnership. “Our strategic planning forecasts that until 2030, 15% of our total sales will be invested in research & development. In 2018 we invested R$ 250 million in drug and medicine research and R$ 155 million more are being invested in the Eurofarma Innovation Center”, said Mrs. Martha Penna, Innovation Vice-President.
The agreement also forecasts access to a collection of 2 thousand molecules, many of them with proven biological properties and which constitute LASSBio’s Chemical Library. In addition to that, Eurofarma and LASSBio will jointly develop activities linked to scientific projects in the organic synthesis and pharmacology areas. "A young professor involved with these scientific projects wishes to acquire professional recognition for the molecule he/she has helped discover. But a partnership with the pharmaceutical industry is essential in order to turn the researches developed in the academic environment into medicines. I’m sure that due to this agreement with Eurofarma, people will soon have access to a new drug that can speak Portuguese”, concluded Mr. Barreiro.
About the Eurofarma Group
The Eurofarma Group is a health company dedicated to offering products and services to improve people’s lives with quality, innovation and at fair prices in the Medical Prescription, Non-Prescription Medicines, Generic Drugs, Hospital Inputs, Oncology and Animal Health areas. In Brazil alone the company offers 287 products under 622 presentations, covering 30 medical specialties and 101 therapeutic classes, which account for 89% of sales in the pharmaceutical retail market.
Founded in 1972, and as the first 100% Brazilian owned pharmaceutical multinational, it has operations in 20 countries, in addition to an important industrial park in Brazil and plants in 6 other countries in Latin America. In 2018, the group generated sales amounting to R$ 4.3 billion, and it employs more than 6.7 thousand collaborators.
Further information is available at www.eurofarma.com.br
Facebook: @eurofarma | LinkedIn: @eurofarma | Instagram:@eurofarma_br
Press Information:
G&A – Public Relations
André Pascowitch - 11 5090-8600 ext. 8646 - andre@gaspar.com.br
Guilherme Gaspar – Tel. 11 3065-3045 – guilherme@gaspar.com.br
The agreement between Universities and the pharmaceutical industry has as its purpose to establish a technical and scientific partnership to promote the research and development of innovative medicines and human resource qualification, in addition to fostering technology absorption and transfer. “We are starting a unique partnership in Brazil, from which the entire pharmaceutical innovation chain will benefit. Today, universities have an idea, develop projects and create knowledge, but all that ends up in a renowned scientific publication. With this new model, the pharmaceutical industry will be able to develop new medicines, which will be available to patients. And the involved universities will receive resources derived from all the work to be developed, which will further foment knowledge and new discoveries”, explained Professor Eliezer Barreiro, Scientific Coordinator at LASSBio / ICB-UFRJ and INCT-INOFAR.
Pain, Leishmaniasis, inflammation and depression are the first selected targets for this partnership. “Our strategic planning forecasts that until 2030, 15% of our total sales will be invested in research & development. In 2018 we invested R$ 250 million in drug and medicine research and R$ 155 million more are being invested in the Eurofarma Innovation Center”, said Mrs. Martha Penna, Innovation Vice-President.
The agreement also forecasts access to a collection of 2 thousand molecules, many of them with proven biological properties and which constitute LASSBio’s Chemical Library. In addition to that, Eurofarma and LASSBio will jointly develop activities linked to scientific projects in the organic synthesis and pharmacology areas. "A young professor involved with these scientific projects wishes to acquire professional recognition for the molecule he/she has helped discover. But a partnership with the pharmaceutical industry is essential in order to turn the researches developed in the academic environment into medicines. I’m sure that due to this agreement with Eurofarma, people will soon have access to a new drug that can speak Portuguese”, concluded Mr. Barreiro.
About the Eurofarma Group
The Eurofarma Group is a health company dedicated to offering products and services to improve people’s lives with quality, innovation and at fair prices in the Medical Prescription, Non-Prescription Medicines, Generic Drugs, Hospital Inputs, Oncology and Animal Health areas. In Brazil alone the company offers 287 products under 622 presentations, covering 30 medical specialties and 101 therapeutic classes, which account for 89% of sales in the pharmaceutical retail market.
Founded in 1972, and as the first 100% Brazilian owned pharmaceutical multinational, it has operations in 20 countries, in addition to an important industrial park in Brazil and plants in 6 other countries in Latin America. In 2018, the group generated sales amounting to R$ 4.3 billion, and it employs more than 6.7 thousand collaborators.
Further information is available at www.eurofarma.com.br
Facebook: @eurofarma | LinkedIn: @eurofarma | Instagram:@eurofarma_br
Press Information:
G&A – Public Relations
André Pascowitch - 11 5090-8600 ext. 8646 - andre@gaspar.com.br
Guilherme Gaspar – Tel. 11 3065-3045 – guilherme@gaspar.com.br