International pharmaceutical company, Almirall, expands global footprint with new Canadian affiliate

New affiliate to support forthcoming Canadian product launches

TORONTO, Sept. 5, 2013 /CNW/ - Almirall, the international pharmaceutical company based in Barcelona, Spain, continued its expansion with the launch of a new affiliate in Canada, the world's seventh largest pharmaceutical market. The Canadian affiliate will focus primarily on the respiratory and dermatology therapeutic areas.

General Manager for Almirall Canada, Ed Dybka, commented: "This is a very exciting time for Almirall.  Pipeline advances, key regulatory milestones and collaboration agreements have set the stage for a period of sustained international growth.  Our launch in Canada will contribute to this growth and emphasizes our commitment to the North American pharmaceutical market."

Based in Mississauga, the new affiliate will support the Canadian launches of new Almirall products including an innovative new treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), TudorzaTM GenuairTM, which will launch in the fall.

Almirall Canada is the company's 13th affiliate joining affiliates across Europe and Mexico

Building on Almirall's long history of success in Europe; "We aim to stand apart as a pharmaceutical company in Canada by being easy to do business with, and passionate and genuine in our commitment to partner with the medical community to improve the lives of Canadian patients," Dybka said.  "We welcome Canada's best and brightest to help us achieve this."

Research and development

Research has been core to Almirall's DNA for over 40 years.  In 2012, Almirall reinvested more than 23 per cent of its sales in R&D - an increase of 10 per cent from the previous year.  This was the highest investment in R&D by any pharmaceutical company in Spain and ranked it third of all industrial companies in the country.

By the end of 2012, 20 per cent of all company personnel were dedicated to R&D. The 500-plus scientists and experts at Almirall play an essential role in all product phases, from the research and development to registration applications for marketing authorisation.

Corporate values

Almirall's corporate values define our culture; the way we work and how we interact on a professional and personal level.  They help set us apart from our competitors, channelling the organisation's collective efforts to establish a unique position.

Our four values; trust, innovation, partnership and personal accountability, define the company, help boost our performance and generate value. The company's results are the sum total of individual efforts devoted to fulfilling our vision, targets and goals.

About Almirall

Almirall is a pharmaceutical company committed to providing valuable medicines through our own R&D efforts, which exceeded 23 per cent of sales in 2012, together with external partnerships, licenses and collaborations. We seek to provide innovative medicines to treat respiratory and dermatology diseases, with a strong interest in gastroenterology and pain.

With more than 3000 employees in 22 countries, Almirall generated total revenues that exceeded 1 billion dollars in 2012.

The company was founded in 1943 and is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. The stock is traded on the Spanish stock exchange (ticker: ALM).

For more information please visit www.almirall.com

SOURCE: Almirall