„Open Day“ at Grifols in Barcelona
Author
Marion Wilkens, as published in Alpha1 Journal 02/2015
From November 12th to 14th, 2015, the Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols held an open house in Barcelona for representatives of patient organizations. We at Alpha1 Germany were able to gain valuable insights into Grifols' research, manufacturing, and innovation.
Alpha1 Germany was also present when Grifols hosted its first "Open House" at its headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. It began quite innocently on Thursday in a pleasant Spanish restaurant, where we had the opportunity to get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere. "We" were representatives of Alpha1 patient organizations from German-speaking countries, as well as representatives of other patient organizations who also receive protein therapy from Grifols. Early Friday morning, we headed to the Grifols Academy, a training center, where we learned about the entire process from plasma donation to the finished product. Founded in 1940, Grifols now employs more than 14,000 people in 30 countries and sells its products in over 100 countries worldwide. In addition to plasma fractionation, the company also develops and sells the necessary equipment and diagnostic testing systems. 25,000 plasma donations are needed daily to produce enough products for us Alpha1 patients. An Alpha-1 patient requires 900 donations per year; a plasma donation of 500-800 ml can be performed 1-2 times per week. A significant part of the presentation focused on plasma safety. Even after repeated questioning, we were unable to identify any safety gaps and are pleased with the high safety standards in the production of Prolastin.
To illustrate the safety measures, we were then given a tour of Grifols' Biomat laboratory, the quality assurance department. Here, all the tests, especially those for virus detection, were explained to us. In the afternoon, the focus shifted to the manufacturing process. After a presentation with explanations, Mr. Albert Grifols led us around the factory grounds and proudly showed us the facilities. He pointed out the new hall where Prolastin C will be produced for Europe starting in 2017. To fully understand the story of Prolastin and the Grifols company, we had time in the evening to put the final pieces of the puzzle together in the Grifols Museum and end the day with lively discussions about the products, the manufacturing process, and future visions. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Grifols for the fascinating days, the wealth of information, and their wonderful hospitality.
