Farmaceutica, 25 years of Grünenthal in Origgio: exports from Italy to the world

Grünenthal, over 75 years of history that has also spoken Italian for a quarter of a century. After having taken over the Farmaceutici Formenti site in the heart of the mini pharma valley of Origgio, in the province of Varese, 26 years ago, the German group continues to focus on our country, from where it exports medicines to the world. In 2020, thanks to an investment of over 12 million euros, it expanded the production capacity of the plant by 30%, where from the first months of 2023 the nasal spray formulation of Zomig * (zolmitriptan) will be manufactured for the international market. The goal is more than 4 million packs a year, in addition to those of the analgesic Palexia * (tapentadol) which for 10 years now from Origgio has covered the entire European and extra-European needs. A lot of road has been covered since the center, built in the 70s on an area of ​​50 thousand square meters, addressed only the national territory. Since 1996, the year of the ownership changeover, the site has undergone a constant updating of technologies, organizational models, training and skills, as well as an increase in the efficiency of the plants, with the aim of satisfying the levels of excellence necessary for production both in own is for third parties. In fact, 50% of the production of the plant is destined for external global pharmaceutical groups, strongly integrated with the other 2 European sites of Grünenthal, in Germany and Switzerland, and node of a network that includes 2 further poles in Ecuador and Chile, dedicated to Latam market. Overall – the company underlines – the 5 factories make up a team committed to supplying Grünenthal medicines to the whole world and a complete and vertically integrated third-party production service, from the active ingredient to the finished drug, with a broad portfolio that includes development and optimization of the production process, regulatory services, packaging, release and distribution. With a portfolio of 3,800 products of various formulations, 100 countries are supplied thanks to the work of 1,400 employees around the world. The growth of the Origgio site is part of a process that is internalizing the production of some drugs acquired by Grünenthal and previously manufactured outside the European Union in the plant. The Lombard center has also become an access platform to the European market for non-EU companies, for example from Asia or America. The production plant is capable of delivering more than 2 billion single units a year and boasts a large induced activity that includes goods and services purchased locally and nationally. Overall, exports currently account for 98% of the volumes produced and are mainly directed to Europe (in particular Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom), as well as to Asia and South America. In addition to drugs – the group highlights – also the skills, in the form of consultancy and planning, are exported from the plant certified by European, American, Brazilian, Japanese regulatory bodies, as well as from Russia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other countries In order to adapt to the needs of a constantly evolving market, and in the name of an internal culture based on innovation and continuous improvement, over the years priority technologies have been developed (such as cryo-grinding and hot extrusion), global processes and quality and flexibility standards were optimized, and innovative projects were launched with a view to digital transformation. Great Place to Work certified in Italy, the Origgio site has over 370 employees. A qualified, highly specialized occupation with a strong ‘pink’ presence: the predominance of women is clear, even in top positions, specify by Grünenthal, claiming attention to a very broad welfare system reinforced by ad hoc initiatives, to a high flexibility and respect for inclusion and diversity in its broadest conception. The innovation of the Origgio site continues from a ‘green’ perspective, hinging on its multi-year ISO 14001 certification, which guarantees efficient management of environmental issues, emphasizes the company locally committed to a multi-year investment plan with the aim to reduce the environmental impact and increase sustainability.A first energy efficiency project – recalls Grünenthal – involved the renovation of the façade of the general warehouse, now clad with a ventilated wall capable of generating thermal insulation of the building. guarantee of considerable energy savings necessary for air conditioning. A second recent intervention has equipped the plant with a plant for the cogeneration of electricity and thermal energy, dedicated to air conditioning and production purposes. Electricity production covers 50% of the current annual company electricity needs. And thanks to the savings obtained from the combined production of hot water and steam, the system guarantees a reduction in the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere (-400 tons of CO2 in 2020 alone). The ‘green’ investments have also continued in the last year: from the replacement of boiler burners with others with reduced nitrogen oxide emissions to the replacement of over 700 neon lamps with LED lights, an intervention that has just been completed and which will generate a saving of 200 thousand kwh / year. In addition, in 2020 43% of waste was recycled and the rest incinerated, confirming the goal of ‘zero waste in landfills’. Finally, the chapter on health and safety in the workplace. The plant also complies with the ISO 45001 certification standard which guarantees the maintenance of a high level of safety. And to reach the ‘zero accidents’ goal, an internal safety behavioral observation program was introduced, with the proactive participation of each employee.