Bluepharma celebrates 20 years with an ambitious growth plan for the decade that now begins.
In four years, we expect to be producing complex injectables in Coimbra, namely vaccines. The construction of a plant for this purpose in Bluepharma Park, into which we intend to transform the entire area of the former Poceram in Cernache, is, moreover, one of Bluepharma's major projects for the next 10 years.
"Five years ago, we already started to carry out the study for the manufacture of complex injectables at our facilities in S. Martinho do Bispo. One of the major goals now is to build a plant specifically for this production," explained Bluepharma President Paulo Barradas Rebelo, confirming the intention to manufacture vaccines and considering this an investment 'of great added value' for Bluepharma, which this year celebrates 20 years.
According to Paulo Barradas, the intention is that, once the plant is built, "which will not happen within the next four years", it will be possible to "attract some of the large multinational companies” dedicated to the production of complex injectables, including vaccines already tested, which may have Bluepharma as a partner in their manufacture. "We will be able to manufacture vaccines by licensing from other pharmaceutical companies", which may include those for covid.
"Portugal does not have vaccine production plants installed, which is an important area now, and in the future, it will be important for the country to invest with the help of the RRP in this area", he admits.
"That is our intention," confirms Paulo Barradas, not ruling out the possibility of the vaccine against Covid-19 being manufactured in Coimbra, because he is convinced that the vaccine will have to continue to be administered, being renewed and adapted to each strain.
About vaccines for covid, the President of Bluepharma notes that it has been impressive to see cooperation and sharing in industry to advance science and overcome difficulties. "We have even seen the authorities monitoring the private sector in real time and with critical analysis in the trials, ensuring efficacy and safety, which has been a very important lesson for everyone."
He also said that "there was no company in the world capable of producing so many vaccines”, so "it was possible to greatly optimize the value chain with partnerships to place production with other partners", which in the future may even be Bluepharma, hence it is not favorable to the lifting of patents. "It is necessary to encourage and protect the inventor, but it is good that patents expire in 20 years, or nothing would never be invented - it is a period of privilege.
"For the time being, no thought is being given for Bluepharma to start a process of origin for the production of a vaccine, since, with the necessary research, clinical trials and the construction of the plant for its manufacture, this could a decade at the very least.
The major project is the construction of the new Bluepharma Park plant in Cernache, where a logistics platform will be built by the end of this year. In Eiras, a new plant (under construction) will be dedicated to the manufacture of medicines (capsules and tablets) of high therapeutic value, 90% of which are for the treatment of cancer.
"Attracting customers" to the plants it has and will have in Coimbra very soon is Bluepharma's big challenge.
"The pandemic has taught us many lessons. One of them is that the supply chains of raw materials are too long, which is a risk for Europe," he confirmed, adding that, therefore, within this strategy of attraction, it is also Bluepharma's intention, in the next decade, to be able to "bring strategic processes in the value chain of the medicine to its plants", in particular with regard to raw material production.
It is a strong bet for Bluepharma, and it will cost 200 million euro by 2030, but one that promises to open new paths.