Grupo Vall Companys and Bioiberica are committed to the circular economy to produce Heparin
It will be located in Mercazaragoza, with a production volume that could satisfy the annual Spanish demand for heparin: 300 million syringes.
The Vall Companys agri-food group and the pharmaceutical company Bioiberica have presented Biovall Heparine Science, the joint business project that will allow the production of crude heparin from the extraction of porcine intestinal mucosa. This project, clearly focused on promoting a sustainable circular economy system, is innovative because it is based on the reuse and recovery of a co-product of pig origin, giving it a second useful life.
The project -which has received the approval of the Mercazaragoza consortium and the local Administration- stands out for being the union of two leading corporations in the sectors where they operate. The Spanish pharmaceutical Bioiberica is the main producer in the world of the active principle (API) of heparin; while the Vall Companys agri-food group is the leading European pig producer. Both leaders ensure a process with the highest industrial standards, with maximum traceability from the mucosa to the heparin and with the maximum safety and quality of the product.
The constitution of the new company Biovall Heparin Science is part of the expansion of the facilities that International Casing Products (ICP) -a subsidiary of the Vall Companys Group- has in the Mercazaragoza industrial estate. With the expansion of ICP and the start-up of Biovall Heparin Science, a total investment of 25 million euros is expected and the creation of 20 qualified jobs. Also noteworthy is the manufacturing volume of 25,000 tons of mucosa per year, which would translate into being able to satisfy the total national demand: 300 million doses of final product.
The general director of the pork division of the Vall Companys Group, Albert Morera, highlighted that "the pig sector has always been characterized by a very high level of circular economy. Today, with this project, we demonstrate it again; being at the service of society with an essential medicine for human health”.
For his part, the CEO of Bioiberica, Luis Solera, pointed out that "our commitment to quality and safety is demonstrated by the creation of BioVall Heparine Science, a project where we consolidate productive excellence throughout our value chain in Spain in pro of health and innovation”.
The molecule that saves human lives
Heparin is an active pharmaceutical ingredient that is extracted from porcine intestinal mucosa. Thus, it is essential to ensure traceability and quality throughout the extraction process.
The product will be manufactured under strict GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and conditions in state-of-the-art manufacturing plants. It is expected that the project, as a whole, both the expansion of ICP and the start-up of Biovall, could be a reality from 2025.
20% of the heparin administered in the world is produced in Spain and almost 40% of that consumed in Europe and the United States is produced in Bioiberica, making it a benchmark producer market for the pharmaceutical sector. This drug is one of the most important clinical products in the entire world industry, since it is the most widely used for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis. It has been declared an essential medicine by the World Health Organization (WHO) and it is estimated that it saves more than 100 million human lives a year.
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