Grifols
Encyclopedia
Grifols, S.A. is a Spanish
-based multinational pharmaceutical and chemical
company. Principally a producer of blood plasma
-based products, a field in which it is the Europe
an leader, the company also supplies devices
, instruments and reagent
s for clinical testing laboratories
.
, Factor VIII
and other plasma-derived products.
capacity from two plants, one at Parets del Vallès
near Barcelona
in Spain (2.1 million litres per year) and another in Los Angeles
(1.5 million litres but being expanded to 2.2 million litres). In the United States the company owns 80 plasmapheresis
centres, where it collects around 2 million litres of plasma per year.
index in January 2008.
and scientist. Dr Grifols was the first researcher to publish the plasmapheresis procedure in 1951. The company introduced its liquid IVIG product into the European market in the mid-1990s. In 2003 the company acquired certain assets of the Los Angeles
-based Alpha Therapeutic as the basis of its American expansion.
On June 1, 2011, a year after announcing the $4 billion deal, Grifols completed a takeover of Talecris Biotherapeutics, headquartered in Research Triangle Park
in North Carolina
, with over 2000 employees.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
-based multinational pharmaceutical and chemical
Chemical substance
In chemistry, a chemical substance is a form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. It cannot be separated into components by physical separation methods, i.e. without breaking chemical bonds. They can be solids, liquids or gases.Chemical substances are...
company. Principally a producer of blood plasma
Blood plasma
Blood plasma is the straw-colored liquid component of blood in which the blood cells in whole blood are normally suspended. It makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid...
-based products, a field in which it is the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an leader, the company also supplies devices
Medical device
A medical device is a product which is used for medical purposes in patients, in diagnosis, therapy or surgery . Whereas medicinal products achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means. Medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, thermal,...
, instruments and reagent
Reagent
A reagent is a "substance or compound that is added to a system in order to bring about a chemical reaction, or added to see if a reaction occurs." Although the terms reactant and reagent are often used interchangeably, a reactant is less specifically a "substance that is consumed in the course of...
s for clinical testing laboratories
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
.
Main products
Grifols is a major world supplier of IVIG, albuminAlbumin
Albumin refers generally to any protein that is water soluble, which is moderately soluble in concentrated salt solutions, and experiences heat denaturation. They are commonly found in blood plasma, and are unique to other blood proteins in that they are not glycosylated...
, Factor VIII
Factor VIII
Factor VIII is an essential blood clotting factor also known as anti-hemophilic factor . In humans, Factor VIII is encoded by the F8 gene...
and other plasma-derived products.
Main operations
In 2007 the company had 3.6 million litres per year of blood fractionationBlood fractionation
Blood fractionation is the process of fractionating whole blood, or separating it into its component parts. This is typically done by centrifuging the blood.The resulting components are:...
capacity from two plants, one at Parets del Vallès
Parets del Vallès
The town of Parets del Vallès is near Barcelona , in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the south-west of the comarca of Vallès Oriental, at 7 km from its capital Granollers. It covers an area of 8,98 km², and has about 16,000 inhabitants. From north to south, Parets is crossed by the...
near Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in Spain (2.1 million litres per year) and another in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(1.5 million litres but being expanded to 2.2 million litres). In the United States the company owns 80 plasmapheresis
Plasmapheresis
Plasmapheresis is the removal, treatment, and return of blood plasma from blood circulation. It is thus an extracorporeal therapy...
centres, where it collects around 2 million litres of plasma per year.
Ownership
Grifols was listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange in May 2006. The stock became part of the IBEX 35IBEX 35
The IBEX 35 is the benchmark stock market index of the Bolsa de Madrid, Spain's principal stock exchange. Initiated in 1992, the index is administered and calculated by Sociedad de Bolsas, a subsidiary of Bolsas y Mercados Españoles , the company which runs Spain's securities markets...
index in January 2008.
History
Grifols was founded in 1940 by Dr José A. Grifols Roig, a hematologistHematology
Hematology, also spelled haematology , is the branch of biology physiology, internal medicine, pathology, clinical laboratory work, and pediatrics that is concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases...
and scientist. Dr Grifols was the first researcher to publish the plasmapheresis procedure in 1951. The company introduced its liquid IVIG product into the European market in the mid-1990s. In 2003 the company acquired certain assets of the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based Alpha Therapeutic as the basis of its American expansion.
On June 1, 2011, a year after announcing the $4 billion deal, Grifols completed a takeover of Talecris Biotherapeutics, headquartered in Research Triangle Park
Research Triangle Park
The Research Triangle Park is a research park in the United States. It is located near Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill, in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina...
in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, with over 2000 employees.