Jordi Muntañola (Barcelona, 1978) has been the CEO of Salvat laboratories for a year. This molecular biologist from Esteve, who also held positions of responsibility at the Werfen group, has placed Salvat in the club of 100 million in turnover 12 months after initiating a major transformation to enhance the values and characteristics of a family-owned pharmaceutical company with over 70 years of history; a portfolio of its own products, with brands like the antiseptic Cristalmina, and a foundation to which it dedicates a portion of its profits. And, moreover, with great prospects, with the acceleration of the third-party production business and the launch during the first half of this year of a new product in the USA, with the prospect of marketing another next year and another in China. Always accompanied by a local partner, the formula it uses for internationalization, which has led it to be present in more than 60 countries. And without ruling out possible acquisitions, a path that the company may incorporate into the 2027-2030 strategic plan, which it expects to have ready this summer.

The Catalan company Isdin –specializing in dermatology and photoprotection– will establish the largest logistics facility in the company's history in Martorelles (Vallès Oriental). Specifically, they will build a hub of approximately 22,000 square meters with the aim of supporting the company's international growth. In a statement, Isdin assured this Friday that the new facilities will centralize a "very significant" part of the company's logistics operations, reinforcing Barcelona's role as the "nerve center of its global logistics".

Grifols is deepening its commitment to full integration and self-sufficiency in plasma production to avoid importing it to countries where blood donations are paid for. One instrument to reinforce this commitment will be the initial public offering with a portion of the capital of the Biopharma division in the United StatesThe company has decided to take this step, announced Tuesday night to the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), to strengthen its model in the US. This approach encompasses the entire value chain, from plasma collection to manufacturing, logistics, analysis, and distribution of blood products, comparable to the vertical integration of the Inditex-Zara model. According to market sources, the total value of the business to be listed is between €23.7 billion and €27.7 billion, between 13 and 15 times earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), and could substantially reduce Grifols' debt, which currently stands at €0. The company intends to carry out the operation through an initial public offering (IPO) for a minority stake, which, according to Bloomberg, could raise around €6 billion if 20% of the shares are offered. The company's shares, which had risen more than 8% in early trading, finished 1.36% higher on the Spanish market, reaching €8.96.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company Reig Jofre closed 2025 with a net profit of €4.99 million, 52% less than the previous year due to temporary production shutdowns and a 30% drop in antibiotic sales. In total, the majority family-owned group obtained revenues of €331.1 million, 2% less than in 2024. The year was marked by the company's industrial transformation. At the Toledo plant, planned shutdowns and the renovation of two antibiotic production lines were carried out in a context of recovering demand for oral antibiotics after the exceptional increases during the pandemic. Investments in the sterile area continued at the Barcelona plant. The company also integrated Leanbioand, therefore, Syna Therapeutics, which they had previously formed jointly.

Almirante continues to deepen its specialization in dermatology. This is reflected in 2025, as the company quadrupled its profits to €46.2 million thanks to its portfolio of biological treatments, compared to €10.1 million in 2024. Group sales exceeded €1 billion, specifically €1.108 billion, representing a 12.4% increase over the previous year. Total revenue was €1.114 billion, up 12.5%. Operating profit (EBITDA) reached €232.9 million, a 20.9% year-on-year increase, and the gross margin was 64.4%. The key driver of these results was dermatology sales in Europe, which increased by 25.6% to €608 million, the company reported in a statement on Monday.

In recent years, China has managed to capture a significant portion of the market that until recently was dominated by the European pharmaceutical industry, displacing the Old Continent to third place globally in many aspects. This ranking is led by the United States, but the Asian giant continues to gain ground. In this context, Catalonia, the leading center for the sector in Spain, with 44% of the pharmaceutical manufacturing plants (79 out of 181), and one of the main centers in Europe, must play a key role in the effort to improve innovation in the industry and regain its position. Within this framework, the Catalan government (Generalitat) and the industry association Farmaindustria are working to boost competitiveness and increase innovation and patient access to new treatments. The last meeting between the two parties took place last month, attended by President Salvador Illa, before his medical leave, and the president of the industry association, Fina Lladós.

Concern and unease. This is what the European pharmaceutical sector feels in the face of the advance of the US and China. This was expressed by Carlos Gallardo, president and CEO of Almirante and second vice-president of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). During a conference at Matins d'Esade, the representative of the family that controls the majority of Almirante's capital asserted that Europe was, "literally, the pharmacy of the world," and that this characteristic has been lost in the last three decades. "In 25 years, it has gone from contributing half of the innovative medicines to producing only one in five," he explained. Gallardo called on the European Union (EU) to modify its policy and consider the biopharmaceutical sector strategic for the future of the European economy, instead of as a cost center. He explained that investment in research and development (R&D) has fallen by 25% in the last 20 years in Europe, which is delaying the global launch of drugs. He also explained that the regulatory process is also too slow in Europe. As an example, he said that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) takes an average of 426 days to approve a product, while in the US, through the FDA, it takes 244 days. And, in Spain, another 600 days are added. Therefore, companies only have about six years to recoup their investment before the patent expires. During the audience question period, Gallardo called for a commitment to a hub He argued that having a "superpower" research center in Europe, like the one in Boston, USA, instead of one in every country, fragments everything and creates significant inefficiencies. The decline he believes is affecting the European sector also impacts clinical research. "European participation in clinical trials has halved, resulting in 60,000 fewer opportunities for patients." Furthermore, he noted that US and Chinese industrial policies are "redirecting manufacturing investment away from Europe." He also stated that Almirall is committed to artificial intelligence (AI) and explained the process that led the company to focus on medical dermatology. To this end, they consider many variables, from dermatologists' perceptions to the number of patients treated, sales growth, employee satisfaction, progress on the R&D roadmap, and reducing their carbon footprint, he concluded. It has been agreed that its objective is to launch products prescribed by dermatologists, outside the realm of cosmetics or aesthetics.

Tariffs on European products imposed by US President Donald Trump have affected 2.9% of Catalan exports abroad, according to data published Tuesday by Acció, the Catalan government's foreign trade promotion agency. Exemptions to the trade tariffs agreed upon between US and European Union authorities have allowed a third of Catalan products sold in the US market to remain duty-free. According to calculations, of the €4.35 billion exported from Catalonia to the US, approximately €1.43 billion—or 33% of the total—remain tariff-free. Conversely, the remaining €2.92 billion "were subject to the tariffs" imposed by Trump, according to a statement from Acció. Compared to total Catalan exports outside of Spain, this latter figure represents 2.9% of the total exports by Catalan companies abroad. The effect of the tariffs, however, has been limited. In fact, Catalan exports to the US between January and October of last year fell by 1.9% compared to the same period in 2014. "The products most affected, for the moment, have been perfumes and cosmetics, jewelry, iron and steel manufactures, clothing, motorcycles, and meat," Acció adds in its statement.

Grifols has received certification from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the entire value chain of Grifols Egypt for Plasma Derivatives (GEPD), a project by the Catalan multinational specializing in plasma derivatives in partnership with the Egyptian government. The authority responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision, and safety control of medicines in the European Union (EU) confirmed that the entire Grifols Egypt plasma platform "operates under the most demanding European standards of quality, safety, and regulatory control," the company explains. Thanks to this certification, Egypt becomes the first country in Africa and the Middle East to operate a fully integrated plasma collection and processing system "that meets the strictest international standards throughout the entire cycle, from the medical evaluation of donors and the donation process to the analysis of the medicines" and the plasma processing. This also facilitates the country's progress toward exporting surplus medicines derived from Egyptian plasma to other markets, particularly in Europe, including Spain.

On January 9, 2024, almost two years ago, Grifols, the Catalan multinational specializing in blood products with family capital, suffered a huge blow on the stock market. The reason? The speculative fund Gotham City Research Gotham accused the company of manipulating its debt and operating profit (EBITDA), alleging that it inflated profits while concealing the true extent of its liabilities after years of growth. Before the pandemic, a crisis that paralyzed the blood collection business and strained its finances, the company had expanded through acquisitions, which had increased its debt. Following the initial allegations, which Gotham supplemented with subsequent reports, the group implemented governance reforms and had to divest part of its business in China, Shanghai RAAS, which it sold to the Chinese giant Haier. to reduce their liabilitiesToday, BK is in the midst of expanding its operations in Egypt, in partnership with the Egyptian government through an agreement signed in 2020, and will launch Africa's first biotechnology plant. Furthermore, it is experiencing less turbulent times and has a better outlook, according to analysts. Much of this change in the outlook is due to its results, as it earned €304 million through September, a 245% increase compared to the same period last year, after closing the third quarter with a profit of €127 million, a 146% increase. Its revenue in these nine months grew by 7.7%, to €5.542 billion.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company Hipra will begin animal trials next year of the prototype vaccines it has developed against African swine fever (ASF), although the treatment will not be available to eradicate the current outbreak of the virus detected in Catalonia. The company has been researching the virus since 2019 and has been leading a European project to develop an ASF vaccine for the past two years. Marta Sitjà, research director of Hipra's animal health division, admits that this virus, in addition to its virulence, is also "very complex" because it has up to 150 proteins, and blocking just one is not enough to prevent it from continuing to infect pigs. However, Hipra cannot yet give a date for when the ASF vaccine will reach the market. "We are still far from that," says Sitjà, who emphasizes that in the face of the current crisis, measures must be taken to eradicate the virus.

Pharmaceutical company Almirall increased its profits fivefold in the first three months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to a statement issued by the company to the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). The company's profits rose from €7.2 million in the first three quarters of 2024 to €39.1 million in 2025.

AstraZeneca has launched its own hub global in Barcelona, ​​in the Estel building, formerly occupied by Telefónica. The company's president in Spain, Rick R. Suárez, took advantage of the inauguration ceremony to ask the Spanish government for "agility, stability, and a long-term vision" to guarantee the competitiveness of the pharmaceutical and scientific sectors. He made these remarks during the opening of this headquarters at an event also attended by President Salvador Illa; the Minister of Health, Mónica García; and the Mayor of Barcelona, ​​Jaume Collboni, among other high-ranking officials.

The messages that the Gotham City Research short fund published on January 8 and 9, 2024, and which assured that Grifols shares were worth zero euros, caused the Catalan pharmaceutical company to suffer a capitalization loss of 3.814 billion euros. Now, a year and a half after that stock market crash, the judge of the National Court admitted a complaint against the analysis firm Gotham City and several of its directors for allegedly having released biased and misleading financial information to the market in order to lower the share price of the Catalan pharmaceutical company Grifo's New York, which is dedicated to making money when the value of its assets falls.

For the first time, the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) has decided to prohibit a merger of companies since its creation in 2013. This is the case involving Curium Pharma Holding Spain, SLU (Curium), owned by Luxembourg-based funds, which planned to take control of the Institute of Radiopharmacy.

Grifols has created a strategy committee within its board of directors, which will be controlled by the founding family, who stepped down from management more than a year agoThis committee includes former CEOs Raimon Grífols Roura, vice president of the group, and his cousin, Víctor Grífols Deu, as well as Tomàs Dagà, a trusted advisor to the family. The other members are the company's non-executive president, Anne-Catherine Berner, and independent director, Íñigo Sánchez-Asiaín Mardones.

Just two years ago, the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk was the most valuable company in Europe (around €600 billion), and its growth seemed limitless thanks to sales of its drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. Originally intended for diabetes, these drugs turned out to be miracle injections for losing appetite and losing weight, causing the Danish company to multiply its value fivefold in just five years.

The investment fund Ysios Capital has closed a purchase agreement with the Swiss multinational CSL for a maximum price of 2.2 billion dollars (about 1.862 billion euros) for its start-up VarmX, the fund reported in a statement on Tuesday.

Faes Farma has announced the acquisition of 100% of the capital of the Italian company SIFI, valued at 270 million euros, to which will be added "additional payments conditioned on the achievement of certain commercial milestones."

The National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) has imposed several fines on Grifols and its directors for a value of almost 1.4 million euros, following the sanctioning file that opened last September following accusations by the Gotham City hedge fund about flaws in its financial information and management reports. Official State Gazette (BOE) published this Wednesday a resolution dated July 24 by the Spanish stock market regulator detailing the sanctions for very serious and serious infractions imposed on the Catalan blood derivatives company and several of its directors.