Innovation is the driving force behind every technologically advanced industry, but for the pharmaceutical industry it plays a vital role since it concerns the health and quality of life of people. For Chiesi, Research and Development are a true human and technological asset and, together with innovation, the driver of company growth.
Our Research & Development team represents a fundamental asset for the business. It comprises integrated functional areas focusing on pipeline projects including discovery and preclinical research, chemistry and manufacturing controls, drug delivery technology, clinical development, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, intellectual property, quality assurance, project management and leadership, and R&D portfolio management. Moreover, R&D functions also support products already on the market through pharmacovigilance and regulatory activities.
Headquartered in the purpose-built and fully integrated new Research and Development Centre in Parma, the team also has important activities in Paris, Chippenham (UK), Rockville (US) and now in Lidingo (Sweden) and Hillerod (Denmark): the latter two sites comprise the new colleagues from Zymenex. The goals of this experienced cross-functional team are highly focused on the delivery of the pipeline on a global basis and increased productivity to support the growth goals.
Most of Chiesi’s medicinal products originate from in-house research whilst others involve cooperation and partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies; in fact, 75% of our turnover comes from the products developed by our R&D division.
For several years, an increasing proportion of the company’s revenues have been invested in Research & Development; in fact, out of 1000 European companies, the Chiesi Group is the top Italian company for R&D investment and ranks 7th among the major national groups in every industry. [1]
Another important result which underlines the major commitment of the Chiesi Group to Research & Development: In Europe, we are among the companies filing the highest number of patents, ranking in 5th place in Italy. [2]
The number of R&D programmes is constantly increasing and diversifying, therefore enriching the company’s therapeutic range; nonetheless, the company still focuses and will continue to focus on its three main therapeutic areas of interest: respiratory, neonatology and special care. The traditional therapeutic areas of the Chiesi Group are now complemented by new research areas and know-how in several sectors: rare diseases, biotechnology, gene therapy and transplantation. Chiesi is now widening its range of products with different types of drugs which now accompany traditional small molecules, including biotechnological products (proteins) and advanced therapeutics (gene and cell therapies): innovative ways to approach these new disease areas.
This strategy enables us to keep developing and enriching our pipeline, heralding important developments for the future of our company, by offering an opportunity to those patients for whom no therapeutic options are currently available.
During the past 6 years our Group, due in part to the investment in R&D, has achieved sustainable growth: a 75% increase in income, the launch of a new product on average every two years, the opening of seven new subsidiaries and the creation of over 750 new jobs.
[1] European Commission, Joint Research Centre, EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard 2014
