A world reference and international leader in joint health

After CPhI China, En-cphi.cn interviewed Mr. Jaume Reguant, director of the Bioiberica Health Care Business Unit.

The main business of Bioiberica is Heparin. Meanwhile, as a world reference and an international leader in joint health and mobility compounds, Bioiberica is the first European producer of Chondroitin Sulfate.

CPhI : What are the latest products and technologies you have brought to CPHI China 2018? What did you gain form 2018CPHI China and how do you think of CPHI China 2018? How do you think of the Chinese market for your business?

Mr. Jaume Reguant: At CPhI China 2018 we presented our top branded ingredients. b-2Cool®, a native type II collagen-based natural ingredient that helps maintain joint health thanks to its immune-mediated mechanism of action. Mobilee®, a patented ingredient rich in hyaluronic acid, polysaccharides and collagen, which contributes to maintain joint function and muscle strength. And also our pharma quality Glucosamine, a maximum purity and quality product which has proved to reduce joint pain and to improve mobility.

China is the world’s second largest pharma economy and it has a huge market potential. As expected, CPhl China has become the most important pharmaceutical trade show on active ingredients in the Asia-Pacific region and it is a good opportunity to meet our distributors and to search for new partners.

Bioiberica can bring experience, quality and science to the Chinese market. Experience of more than 40 years in the identification and extraction of biomolecules of high biological and therapeutic value, from tissues of animal origin, which are transformed into high quality active pharmaceutical and nutraceutical ingredients and products. Quality thanks to our productive model: Bioiberica is vertically integrated, being present throughout the whole life of the product, from development through production to marketing and our processes are especially designed to minimize any possibility of biological risk. And Science because our products are supported by more than 150 publications.

CPhI: What effective quality control measures have been implemented to ensure the quality of your products from the slaughterhouse to the pharmaceutical active ingredient?

Mr. Jaume Reguant: Raw materials are selected and controlled in origin at the eight plants of the company in Spain, Germany, the United States, Brazil, Italy and Poland. This provides a strong supply chain model, as well as production capacity and flexibility. All these plants have implemented a common quality system and environmentally safe processes.

The final purification process, in which the product is converted into a pharmaceutical ingredient, takes place at our state-of-the-art facility in Palafolls (Barcelona). The result is a premium quality and safe product adapted to our client requirements.

CPhI: Could you share more about your leadership in heparin, pharmaceutical specialities and active ingredients for joint health, plant stress and immunological and digestive health? Especially, for Heparin, any progress about new applications related with anti-tumoral, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activity study? Any progress by studying the effect of heparin in the treatment of cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), organ transplants, malaria and asthma?

Mr. Jaume Reguant: Since our foundation in 1975, we have been focused on the production of Heparin. We are very well aware that it is an active ingredient indispensable for human health and that it is essential to be able to offer the maximum guarantees of safety and traceability. Today, we are the leading Heparin API manufacturer and one out of every five heparin doses administered worldwide has been developed and manufactured by Bioiberica.

Heparin is the most commonly used anticoagulant in the prevention and treatment of thrombosis, but scientists also attribute to heparin a growing number of biological properties due to its capacity to interact with a large number of proteins. The roadmap to advance towards these other uses includes finding a modified heparin molecule with no anticoagulant and antithrombotic activities. Bioiberica is cooperating with several research centers in order to study these new indications and, in spite that it is probably too early to show any achievement, we are pretty sure that in the next years we will see very promising results where heparin will play an important role.

Heparin is our main business, but we are also a world reference in the production and sale of joint health and mobility compounds. In fact, we are the first European producer of Chondroitin Sulfate and an international leader in joint health thanks to a constant dedication and commitment to science and research. We offer our customers all our medical, scientific and commercial knowledge for the joint development of the market.

Bioiberica is also specialized in science-based supplements to help pets live their best life, and in innovative feed ingredients to promote animal health and performance. And is the farmers’ natural partner to beat plant stress with a specific range of biostimulation, plant nutrition and biocontrol products.

CPhI: Can you share with us the latest developments or news for your business? What are the further steps that your company will make in the near future? What’s your company’s strategy within recent years?

Mr. Jaume Reguant: In the joint health market, consumers are seeking natural products with proven efficacy, safety, and convenient dosage and intake that allow them to keep healthy joints.

A growing aging population is the main driver of the bone and joint health industry but also sports people and women (especially during menopause) are driving business opportunities for our products. We understand that the only way to satisfy these market needs is through robust scientific development. According to our point of view, only the nutrients and supplements developed using the highest scientific standards will be able to succeed and improve the quality of life of people with joint discomfort.

Our R&D team is working towards this direction and they are also exploring new APIs and active ingredients, coming from raw materials of animal origin, to deliver medical innovations.

CPhI: Have you launched the food used for medical purposes which, consumed regularly, helps prevent memory loss in patients with mild Alzheimer's?

Mr. Jaume Reguant: The compound is in a phase of experimental study and we expect to have preliminary results next year. This is a good example of our R&D activity. The Alzheimer’s compound we are testing is of animal origin, contains characterized bioactive principal agents and it has been developed entirely by researchers from Bioiberica.

CPhI: Will you take part in CPHI worldwide or CPHI Korea or CPHI Middle East and Africa or CPHI India? What will you expect?

Mr. Jaume Reguant: Yes, in October we will attend CPhI Worldwide in Madrid, where we will promote our active pharmaceutical ingredients of animal origin, our range of branded ingredients for joint health and mobility, and our portfolio of finished products for the management of osteoarthritis and other joint conditions.

About Bioiberica

In 1975, the year Bioibérica was formed, we started to investigate and produce Heparin, a biomolecule with significant biological and therapeutic properties, extracted from animal tissue. Gradually we began to specialise in the production of this and other biomolecules for the pharmaceutical, veterinary and agricultural industries. Over the years, a firm commitment to science and technology and a wide knowledge of this field have consolidated our leadership in the production of Glycosaminoglycans (Mucopolysaccharides), including, apart from Heparin, Chondroitin Sulphate, Hyaluronic Acid and Glucosamine. We are also specialists in other active ingredients such as Aminoacids, Characterised Peptides and Protein Hydrolysates.

We currently have over 100 products designed to improve the health of people, animals and plants and we are present in more than 65 countries.

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