AstraZeneca, Hipra, and Sanofi are some of the names of the laboratories that the citizens of Catalonia began to learn about as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Since then, in just four years (between 2020 and 2024), up to 23 hubs Digital and healthcare excellence companies have established themselves in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, solidifying the Catalan capital's position as a leading hub for healthcare investment. The arrival of these companies has generated up to 5,000 new jobs and positioned Barcelona as the only Spanish city to appear in the EMEA ranking—which encompasses Europe, the Middle East, and Africa—for attracting global healthcare investment. This is one of the main conclusions drawn from the report. The Barcelona metropolis. Investing, working and living in 2025The study, presented this Tuesday by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, compiles data from over 80 different indicators. According to the study, which shows that the greater Barcelona area has climbed to 12th position among the capital cities attracting the most investment in healthcare, at a level very similar to Zurich, Munich, and Dublin, but still far behind London, Paris, and Cambridge, which lead the rankings. Barcelona's position improves even further, to 9th, when we look at the health technology companies subsector. More companies and a stronger position also translate into greater talent attraction, more research, and more publications. The Barcelona metropolis has established itself as the ninth European region in scientific output and the 50th in the world. In 2023 alone, more than 1,500 articles were registered, representing 25% of the total published throughout Spain. The life sciences and health sector also attracted more than 25,500 graduates (with bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees) in scientific fields that year. And overall, Catalonia maintains its 3rd position in Europe in the number of "highly cited" publications per million inhabitants regarding advanced therapies, only behind Switzerland and the Netherlands. During the presentation, the president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu, argued that to maintain this level, Barcelona must further strengthen its overall vision. "Our future involves presenting ourselves to the world as a metropolis that is larger than just the city of Barcelona," he said. From the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), the vice president for social and economic development, Jordi Valls, emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration and asserted that the success of the health sector also brings "direct benefits" to citizens: strengthening the public health system and improving the salary structure.

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.

After its first edition in Granada, where Catalan participants couldn't even fill a plane, BioSpain has established itself more than twenty years later as the leading trade fair for a sector like biotechnology, which has gained ground in Spain. This year's edition is expected to surpass the record numbers from its last edition, two years ago, when more than 2,200 attendees and 1,000 companies from some thirty countries participated.

The biotechnology pharmaceutical company Hipra officially opened its new campus in Aiguaviva (Gironès) this Thursday, which aims to become one of the main hubs in animal and human health research and development in Europe. The complex has an investment of €500 million and occupies a total area of 114,000 m2, of which only 28,000 m2 have been occupied so far, the first phase. The institutional event was attended by the Minister of Industry, Jordi Hereu, and the President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Salvador Illa.

October is the new date set by the Girona-based company Hipra to obtain authorisation for its vaccine against covid-19. The company's R&D director, Èlia Torroella, had said that they expected to receive the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) approval between June and July, but they have now been asked for more data. "The situation has been changing and different requirements have been made at different times, and in our case they have asked us to provide more information. We know what they want, we will provide it, and we are convinced that the vaccine will be part of vaccination plans in the autumn," Torroella emphasised, in reference to the Ministry of Health's plans to start administering the fourth dose to the over 60 and to healthcare personnel after the summer.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced this Tuesday that it has begun to study the pharmaceutical company Hipra's vaccine against the coronavirus. According to the EMA statement, the clinical studies submitted by the pharmaceutical company so far suggest that the drug may be effective against coronavirus and also against the omicron variant

The Girona-based pharmaceutical company Hipra can now start the third phase trials of its vaccine against covid-19. After reviewing the results of Phase 2b, the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) has approved a step forward in its research. In this third stage, the new serum will be tested on 3,000 volunteers over 16 years of age, with the collaboration of some twenty hospitals in Spain, Portugal and Italy. The aim is to test whether the new drug is safe and effective as a booster dose in people who have received other vaccines, and they will be followed up medically for 52 weeks. Once it is finished, and if it receives the endorsement of the health authorities, the company will be able to market it.

The Catalan vaccine against covid-19 has taken a step forward. The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products has authorised phase 2 of clinical trials for Hipra's vaccine against covid-19, as explained by the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez. This phase will be carried out in ten hospitals throughout Spain and will have more than 1,000 volunteers. In addition, the company, which is based in Amer (Girona) will receive a €15m grant from the Spanish government.