GP Pharm, a pioneer in the development of controlled drug release, has been granted for the second consecutive year, the rating of ‘very good’ in the Plan Proforma. The certification awarded by this Plan, promoted by the Ministries of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Health and Social Policy, and Science and Innovation, is the consolidation of GP Pharm as one of the 20 most innovative pharmaceutical companies of Spain.
According to Alberto Bueno, president of GP Pharm, this qualification achieved by GP Pharm for the second consecutive year reinforces the purpose of achieving the highest rating in the coming years. All its efforts in R&D&I are directed to that end and, consequently, strengthens its long-term growth.
Profarma’s objective is to encourage the modernisation of the sector and strengthening of activities that bring higher value, so as to encourage research and investment in new industrial plants and in new production technologies.
The Plan makes a company classification into four groups: excellent, very good, good and acceptable, taking into account their excellence in different aspects as industrial, economic, and research and development. On this edition GP Pharm has prevailed especially in aspects such as production, employment generation and the internationalisation of national companies.
Bet for the R&D&I
GP Pharm continues to focus on an intense activity in R&D&I. It currently has 11 research and development projects underway, framed mainly in the fields of cancer (prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, carcinoid syndrome), central nervous system and cardiovascular diseases.
The fruit of the biopharmaceutical research is Lutrate®, the first drug developed entirely by GP Pharm, indicated for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.
Currently, the formulation of one month is pending registration by the health authorities in Europe, the US, China and Turkey. Similarly, Lutrate three months is in phase III of clinical development and Lutrate six months in pre-clinical phase.
‘Oncológica’ project and other collaborations in investigation
Recently, the Spanish biopharmaceutical has joined the Cancer Project, which aims to research and develop of new cancer therapies based on biomarkers. The research project has an initial budget of €17.4m, half of which will provide the Ministry of Science through the CENIT program.
‘Oncológica’ is made up of GP Pharm, Pharmamar Geadic Biotech, Faes Farma, Dominion Pharmakine, Neocodex, Genomics, Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics India, Cellerix and is about public centres of R&D&I in the fight against cancer.
Internationally, the collaboration with Sigma-Tau stands out. Sigma-Tau is one of the current largest Italian pharmaceutical groups with whom the biotech has signed three agreements of collaboration in the fields of cardiovascular and prostate cancer. Also, GP Pharm works with universities and technological centres of first international level for formulations research in a preclinical phase.