Libbs lab raises bet on innovative medicine

Close to inaugurate the largest factory of Biosimilar medicines use of Latin America, Libbs has expanded the focus on innovation, attentive to the unmet medical needs, according to the President of the laboratory, Alcibiades Athayde junior. In this sense, joined at the beginning of the year in international consortium to develop a biological medicine that could save the lives of newborns, participates in the codesenvolvimento of a new product used in the treatment of diabetes and, along with American researchers, is developing an innovative therapy for treatment of pre-eclampsia. This last study is close to entering phase 2.
"There is no medicine to slow labor. If we do, it will change the level of Libbs in country, "said Tim junior. The project, also in the area of biotechnology, financing structure has not yet addressed. But the perception is that should attract the interest of multinational pharmaceutical. "A national company, alone, can''t you finance. But we want to keep the rights and independence of Libbs, "he said.
In 2015, the net turnover reached 1.33 billion R$ lab, front of R$ 1.22 billion a year earlier, and should grow more R$ 100,000,000 in 2016. But the big jump in business will come with the beginning of the production and marketing of the first Biosimilar of Libbs, that can add R$ 1.4 billion to the revenues in a period of five years after the start of trade.
The first batch of rituximab, a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, was produced in March. The inauguration of the plant was planned for September, but was postegarda for November "in line with the strategy of the company and the event area". "This is a disruptive technology. There is great expectation to work, "he said.
The Biotech unit was built within the industrial complex of Libbs in Embu das Artes (SP), with an investment of R$ 250,000,000 for construction and purchase of equipment, financed by the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES). Other R$ 250,000,000 were raised by the Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (Finep) and applied in clinical studies.
The project was made possible through a partnership for Productive Development (PDP), with technology transfer from argentina Mabxience. "From that, we have a commitment with the country," said Tim junior. Initiatives of this nature, as the entrepreneur, show that Brazil is able to do studies involving a Biosimilar medicine and can produce it, under the gaze of a regulatory agency pretty accurate. "Unlike other times, this time the Brazil''s along with the world," commented.
In the country, there are other projects of Biosimilar in course, which also involve PDPs in Valinhos (SP), the Bionovis is preparing to produce up to nine biopharmaceuticals, with technology transfer from Janssen and Merck, and has announced the development of its own products. The Orygen, which in the past relied on the participation of the pharmacist left-Libbs society to invest in Biotec-will have a factory for production of monoclonal antibodies in São Carlos (SP).
Last year, Eurofarma has obtained the approval of the first Biosimilar medicine Fiprima of Latin America for treating patients undergoing chemotherapy. And the Cristália has days biotech units certified and in operation.
Libbs also wants to promote integration between the pharmaceutical industry, public sector and academia in the country and gave the start in the occupation of the technological park of Jaguaré, on the West side of São Paulo. There, the lab wants to build a new unit, which will bring together integrated development center (CDI) and the administrative personnel, inspired in the modern building of the Sanford Consortium, located in San Diego, in the United States.