2014 has been a good year for the biotechnology sector in Spain, mainly due to the improvement in public-private collaboration that is being consolidated in the sector. A number of projects have been carried out acquisitions and mergers and new biotech-focused venture capital funds have emerged.
Spanish biotechnology moves towards concentration
One of the challenges facing the Spanish biotechnology sector is to tackle its atomisation and reach a critical dimension for its growth, mainly international. There are currently around 600 companies, most of them small and medium-sized, whose main activity is biotechnology, which makes their visibility very difficult.
Although it is true that in 2014 several acquisitions were made precisely for this purpose, such as the purchase of Basque Biophenix, which develops drug screening by Bionaturis, developing biologic medicines, the acquisition of Kiro-Robotics by the giant Grifols or the purchase you have made Natraceutical of the laboratory Reig Jofrea French laboratory with a presence in Europe and the USA. In addition, in 2015 it has also announced the purchase of the French company Trophos 120m from Roche, to which a further €350m could be added depending on milestones. Trophos has a proprietary molecule, TRO19622, which is being investigated in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA),
BioSpain 2014 was an important forum for doing business, with more than 200 exhibitors and 50 investors, 80 percent of them international.
"The pharmaceutical sector is moving towards the consolidation of a map made up of fewer and larger laboratories", says Diego Gutiérrez, partner at Abra-Invest.
Other challenges for 2015
Among the challenges for 2015 are the need for international investors in Spanish companies, which will allow us to compete with the big companies on a global level. This year international investments have already been made in Spain, such as the €3M investment of the Japanese multinational Yamada BeeFarm 3 in the Spanish company Life Length.
Another challenge is to alleviate public indebtedness in the biotech sector and to take measures to support SMEs to overcome the crisis.
Other posts that may interest you
New developments in biotech funds in Spain (En-2015)
Juan Diego Cuenca, partner of Abra-invest, analyses the biotechnology sector on Gestionaradio
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