Biolab crosses borders and will invest in Canada

The Brazilian pharmaceutical group Biolab just kick things off in its internationalization strategy. With an investment of $ 40 million over the next two years, the lab, managed by the brothers Cleiton and Paulo de Castro Marques, will set up its first research and development center outside of Brazil, in the province of Ontario, Canada. The Center also will be the first of a Brazilian pharmaceutical industry in that country.
"For some time we know that there is a need to leave the country. Here, lack a Government policy aimed at innovation, "says Nan Castro Marques. The existing economic support, according to Mahmood, is not aligned to the Ministry of health and the deadlines for approval of clinical trials or registry of patents are very large in comparison to other countries. Such "penalties" took the group to seek alternatives outside the country and the installation of a center of innovation proved to be the natural way.
"We will meet our need to have robust files to meet the United States ' authorities [regulatory], Canada and Europe", explains. In an interview with Value, Mahmoud told the Biolab, initially, assemble the Research Center in New Jersey, in the United States, attended virtually all the big multinationals in the sector. Chicago also entered the Brazilian company's radar, but Canada won the Biolab on the support and attention given to the lab, incentives and the powerful pharmaceutical industry in Ontario.
According to the Ontario commercial Consul in Brazil, Todd Barrett, the province has more than 300 pharmaceutical companies, employs about 27 thousand people in the segment and, in 2012, generated $ 27 billion in revenues, or the equivalent to 49% of Canada's total in that industry. "The Biolab will also find very easily to export from Canada, because of trade agreements," says Barrett.
The Center for research and development of Biolab in Canada should go into operation in six months-the initial contribution of $ 20 million and will occupy an area of thousand square meters on the main pole of Canadian innovation. The lab already operates in Brazil a development center in Itapecerica da Serra (SP), with 120 researchers and 180 innovation projects. According to Mahmood, in the future, the lab can evaluate also have manufacturing facilities in that country.
As part of the strategy of internationalization, the Biolab installed a business unit in Miami, in the United States, with a focus on broadening partnerships with multinational companies. At this time, the Brazilian laboratory is negotiating the licensing of two innovative drugs, a nanoanestésico topic and a molecule as a result of radical innovation, the dapaconazol, with two big Pharma. With the license, the new drugs can be sold in the international market. "We're going to sell the technology and, through licensing, to enter into other markets," he says.
Last year, had sales of $ 1.06 Biolab billion and designs Bill this year between $ 1.25 billion and $ 1.3 billion, considering also the Avert (which has the same partners). In the first half, as the entrepreneur, the expansion rate stood at 18%. For 2016, the budget is being drawn up now, working with growth forecast of 12% to 14%. The Biolab has two factories in Sao Paulo and is building a new plant in Minas Gerais, with investment estimated at up to $ 250 million.
According to Mahmood, still no closure to the dispute between the three brothers, Cleiton, Paulo de Castro Marques, Fernando, who runs the Chemical Union, around the corporate descruzamento in two laboratories.