Grifols and Egypt inaugurate first African plasma-supply platform, in Cairo, as part of the alliance to attain self-sufficiency in plasma-derived medicines
BARCELONA, Spain, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Grifols (MCE:GRF) (MCE:GRF.P) (NASDAQ:GRFS), one of the world's leading producers of plasma-derived medicines with a more than 110-year track record of contributing to the health and well-being of people around the world, and the National Service Projects Organization (NSPO) in Egypt today inaugurated the first integrated plasma-supply platform in Africa, the start of a robust plasma infrastructure that will bring self-sufficiency to Egypt while facilitating access to plasma products for the broader Middle East and African region, as well as other countries.
Innovative in its goals and scope, the alliance that Grifols and Egypt announced in November 2020 is the first ever that pairs a government entity and a private plasma manufacturer to tackle national self-sufficiency. This game-changing initiative could be a blueprint for comparable efforts with other countries to increase local access to plasma and plasma treatments.
Paving the way for this milestone in Egypt has been the rapid incorporation of legislation to meet international quality and safety standards. Local donation requirements are now aligned with those of the U.S. FDA, which oversees the world's largest and most experienced network of plasma collection centers. Also guaranteeing excellence is Grifols' proven reliance on vertically integrated operations, ensuring end-to-end control of the entire plasma procurement and manufacturing process, from donation to finished medicinal product.
Facilities in Egypt are expected to be authorized by local authorities as well as international regulatory agencies, such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and certified by the International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP) of the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA).
Grifols Egypt for Plasma Derivatives, the joint-venture company between Grifols and the NSPO, initially plans to construct and fully equip 20 donation centers throughout the country.
Officials from Grifols and the NSPO today were in Cairo's Western Giza district to visit the first plasma collection center, housed in a modern two-story flagship complex named 6th of October. It will begin taking plasma donations in November. The platform of plasma-supply centers, located throughout the country and equipped with the most advanced technology, will have a combined future collection volume capacity of 1 million plasma liters annually.
This building also includes a testing laboratory for screening plasma and a training and educational area belonging to The Grifols Academy, the company's premier ongoing employee professional education program.
The alliance will combine its expertise, technology and resources to construct production facilities for manufacturing hemoderivative medicines in the New Capital, including a plant to fractionate individual plasma proteins with a capacity to process 1 million plasma liters yearly that is expected to double. There will also be a protein purification plant and testing and warehousing operations.
"This first donation center is a tremendous first step toward plasma self-sufficiency for Egypt and will expand plasma access to the region," said Víctor Grifols Deu, co-CEO of Grifols. "Our alliance with Egypt is a model that will significantly change the way plasma infrastructures are conceived, built and managed, enabling much greater availability of plasma medicines."
"This is a proud moment for Egypt as it invests further in the health and well-being of Egyptians while establishing important plasma expertise and regional leadership in this critical field," said Dr. Magdy Amin, CEO Grifols Egypt. "This partnership will enable Egypt to deliver higher levels of quality healthcare."
Under the terms of the joint venture, NSPO owns 51% and Grifols the balance. Until Egypt's plasma-production facilities are operational, Grifols will use its existing installations to produce medicines from the plasma collected in the country. Expected European inspections of the donor centers mean that the plasma could also be used in Europe.
About Grifols Egypt for Plasma Derivatives
Grifols Egypt for Plasma Derivatives is a joint-venture company between Egypt's National Service Projects Organization and Grifols. The strategic partnership's combined expertise, technology and resources seeks to strengthen Egypt's healthcare system through achieving self-sufficiency in plasma-derived medicines while reinforcing Grifols' international expansion in the Middle East and Africa.
About Grifols
Grifols is a global healthcare company founded in Barcelona in 1909 committed to improving the health and well-being of people around the world. Its four divisions – Bioscience, Diagnostic, Hospital and Bio Supplies – develop, produce and market innovative solutions and services that are sold in more than 100 countries.
Pioneers in the plasma industry, Grifols operates a growing network of donation centers worldwide. It transforms collected plasma into essential medicines to treat chronic, rare and, at times, life-threatening conditions. As a recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Grifols also offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to enhance safety from donation to transfusion. In addition, the company supplies tools, information and services that enable hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare professionals to efficiently deliver expert medical care.
Grifols, with more than 24,000 employees in 30 countries and regions, is committed to a sustainable business model that sets the standard for continuous innovation, quality, safety and ethical leadership.
In 2019, Grifols' economic impact in its core countries of operation was EUR 8.5 billion. The company also generated 148,000 jobs, including indirect and induced.
The company's class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the Ibex-35 (MCE:GRF). Grifols non-voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ through ADRs (NASDAQ:GRFS).
For more information, please visit www.grifols.com
Media contacts:
Grifols
Media Press Office
media@grifols.com
Tel. +34 571 00 02
Egypt's National Service Projects Organization
Email: nspo@nspo.com.eg
Tel: +2021816946
Investors:
Grifols Investors Relations Department
inversores@grifols.com
investors@grifols.com
Tel. +34 93 571 02 21
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