The Bayer pharmaceutical laboratory is celebrating its 125th anniversary in Spain this year. The German group has landed in this country with a small office in Barcelona. More than a century later, the company continues its production operations in different parts of the region, such as Valencia, Seville and Madrid.. Bernardo Kanahuati, the CEO of the company in Spain, points out that the flexibility of pharmaceutical companies must be increased in order to make their investments profitable, and he considers the review of the reference prices of some drugs in 2024 as an opportunity: In his speech to the ‘actives’ after the presentation of the 2023 results, he said that some strategic drugs “It’s an opportunity for it to continue to be commercially viable in Spain,” he said.
The company closed last year In Spain, investments and sales of 154 million reached 768 million, an increase of 3% compared to last year. Worldwide revenue reached $47.6 billion, with direct investment of 5.8 billion.
When asked how this year’s new launches have fared in Spain, Kanahuati admits that it is too early to make a full assessment. “We are very pleased with the performance of Verquvo, the drug that treats heart failure. Up to 800,000 Spanish patients benefited from this advance, and since this is such an expensive disease, it also benefited the healthcare system.“says Kanahuati. Nubeqa, a drug to treat prostate cancer, also became a mainstay of the company last year.
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On the other hand, personal care and healthcare products became one of the best-performing segments with a turnover of 256 million with an increase of 7.7%. The main brands were those related to the field of dermatology, such as Bepantholo and Canesten.. In cold and flu zones, Bepantholo and Aspirin were star products.
cost increase
Beyond the achievements, What worries Kanahuati the most is the regulated prices of medicines in Spain. «We cannot pass on the cost increases we experience at any point in the chain to the customer.. “This doesn’t allow us to be flexible,” he explains. For this reason, he points out that both European and Spanish regulations should encourage and support companies in the sector. “We need dialogue and value propositions. Authorities need to recognize disruptive innovation bets, reward them and allow them to be profitable in the long run,” he says. If these premises are met, the manager considers that a virtuous cycle has occurred. “There are concerns that European industry will lag behind in investments. We need to be competitive to attract capital,” the empowered council said. Although the responsible person does not specify the possibility of new purchases and investments in Spain, he guarantees that they are always open to new investments.
Source: Informacion
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