German pain relief specialist Grünenthal is investing more than 80 million euros ($87 million) to update its two manufacturing facilities in South America. It is the largest outlay the company has dedicated to a manufacturing project in more than 30 years.
In Santiago, Chile, Grünenthal will refurbish its 38,000-square-foot plant, which will allow it to produce 1.8 billion tablets annually. The company hopes to achieve certification of the facility from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) by November of 2025, it said, enabling it to supply drugs to Europe.
In Quito, Ecuador, Grünenthal’s plant—which is already certified by the EMA—will be able to churn out 300 million high-quality tablets per year starting in 2025, the company said.
Both sites produce Grünenthal’s medicines as well as perform contract manufacturing services for clients.
Victor Barbosa, Grünenthal’s head of global operations, said the modernization of the facilities in South America demonstrates the company’s commitment to “long-term competitiveness in the region."
“Future-proofing our manufacturing capabilities underscores our commitment to ensuring a safe, reliable and efficient supply of medicine to patients globally,” he said in a statement.
The 78-year-old company operates in approximately 100 countries and employs 4,400. It reported revenue of 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) last year, which was up 10% from 2022.
In 2022, Grünenthal expanded its portfolio, buying up the rights to 13 brands and establishing a joint venture with Japan's Kyowa Kirin. That deal came four months after Grünenthal paid 500 million euros ($500 million) to gain global rights to Bayer’s hypogonadism drug Nebido.
Before that, Grünenthal snapped up dermal pain patch Qutenza from Acorda Therapeutics and the rights in some geographic areas to AstraZeneca drugs Vimovo (arthritis), Crestor (cholesterol), Zomig (migraine) and Nexium (heartburn).