Novartis invests 53 million to increase drug production fivefold in La Almunia

The pharmaceutical company Novartis will complete an investment of 53 million euros in 2025 to increase its production capacity fivefold , double its export capacity and, at the same time, promote the creation of new jobs and “contribute to the economic growth of Aragon.” This was announced by the company on Tuesday after the visit of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez , to its plant in La Almunia de Doña Gordina, dedicated to the manufacture of drugs against cancer.

The facility is intended for the production of radioligand therapies , an innovative form of targeted cancer treatment that combines a precision compound that targets cancer cells ( ligand) with a therapeutic radioactive particle (radioisotope). Thanks to its targeted approach, it avoids damage to healthy tissue and represents a step forward in precision and personalized therapy in oncology . Specifically, two types of radioligand therapy are produced at the plant, indicated for the treatment of adults with neuroendocrine tumors for whom surgery is not an option, as well as for some types of prostate cancer.

“The La Almunia de Doña Godina plant is a key facility for Spain ‘s leadership in healthcare innovation. Not only is it one of four centres of this type worldwide, but it also allows us to invest in a type of therapy considered strategic within the European Strategic Autonomy programme to boost biomedical research and strengthen the European production capacity for treatments. In addition, the commitment to this therapeutic approach gives us a golden opportunity to continue innovating in a disruptive way towards new solutions for some of the pathologies with the greatest impact and mortality in the world and in Spain, such as cancer,” highlighted Jesús Ponce , president of Novartis in Spain.

The multinational highlights that they continue “to invest in the development of the plant after more than ten years of evolution since the start of its activity in 2012 , when the centre had only eight employees ”. Since then, the growth of the plant and the creation of employment have been encouraged, until it currently has a staff of 102 professionals. “By generating new job opportunities with quality and qualified employment, this centre also represents a project for the settlement of population in an area with a low population density , especially among the youngest”, they add.

On the other hand, they highlight the strategic role of the plant not only in its ability to attract and retain talent in the region, but also its location in a major logistics communications hub that facilitates the distribution of therapies to Spain and also to the rest of Europe, since the plant currently dedicates more than 85% of its production to export to more than 30 countries around the world.