Grünenthal announces significant investments in its Latin America production sites, further securing reliable medicine supply for patients

Aachen, Germany, 17 July 2024 – Grünenthal, a leading pharmaceutical company specializing in pain research and management, has announced significant investments in its Latin American production sites. These investments will enhance Grünenthal's production network, ensuring a reliable supply of medicines for patients across Latin America, Europe, and beyond.

Grünenthal operates a robust production network with five manufacturing sites in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Chile, and Ecuador. These sites produce medicine from Grünenthal's portfolio and offer contract manufacturing services to third parties. Grünenthal recently invested over €80 million to enhance its production capabilities in Latin America. To ensure production excellence and expand the geographical reach of its Latin American facilities, Grünenthal is implementing a standardized approach to product robustness, quality, and regulatory compliance across all its global manufacturing sites.

"Our investment in Latin America is a strong demonstration of our commitment to long-term competitiveness in the region,” says Victor Barbosa, Head of Global Operations and member of the Executive Board Team. "Future-proofing our manufacturing capabilities underscores our commitment to ensuring a safe, reliable, and efficient supply of medicine to patients globally. Grünenthal delivers high-quality medicine from Latin America to the world—a unique capability in the region.“

Grünenthal has been operating in Santiago de Chile for 45 years. The company’s largest manufacturing investment in the past three decades, a new 3,500-square-meter facility in Chile, will enable a production capacity of up to 1.8 billion tablets annually. This facility's state-of-the-art technology reinforces Grünenthal's position as Chile's leading pharmaceutical manufacturer. Additionally, the advanced technology will positively impact employees by providing training and specialization, positioning them at the forefront of the industry. Grünenthal aims to complete the certification process with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) by November 2025, enabling the supply of medicines from Chile to Europe.

Grünenthal's manufacturing site in Quito, Ecuador, is one of the few in Latin America licensed to export to Europe and the only one in Ecuador with an EU Good Manufacturing Practice certificate, setting a high industry standard. The 50,000-square-metre campus is Ecuador's largest and most modern manufacturing plant for solid, semi-solid, and liquid pharmaceuticals. Starting in 2025, the new facility will produce up to 300 million high-quality tablets annually for pain patients in 17 European countries.