Almirall has announced an agreement with Centrient Pharmaceuticals to open its new dedicated innovation lab at Almirall’s R&D centre. Centrient's new Innovation Laboratory will start operations in the first quarter of 2024.
This development builds upon Almirall’s commitment to transform its R&D centre in Sant Feliu de Llobregat into a dynamic collaborative environment. The centre serves as a hub where researchers from biotech companies, startups, universities, and other scientific institutions can collaborate fostering an ideal environment for innovation.
Through this partnership with Centrient, following an earlier agreement with ZeClinics earlier this year, Almirall reinforces its mission to create a platform where knowledge and science intersect.
The establishment of an Innovation Laboratory at Almirall's R&D facilities is a strategic milestone for Centrient. It positions Centrient to forge a more diversified and innovative portfolio, a pivotal element of the company's strategic roadmap leading into 2030.
Moreover, Centrient seeks to leverage its manufacturing prowess and process development acumen, emerging as a crucial player within an open innovation paradigm. This transformation will accelerate Centrient's evolution from a manufacturer to an innovation partner in the markets it serves.
Located in Barcelona, the laboratory will provide a central hub for Centrient’s product and process innovation, complementing and building on its existing research and development capabilities around the world. The laboratory's core focus areas encompass Centrient's biotechnology expertise, including strain conservation, strain and enzyme development, industrial microbiology, laboratory-scale fermentation, and enzyme processing and application.
By building upon our existing capabilities in product and process innovation, we are poised to cultivate a broader and more diverse product portfolio
- Rex Clements, CEO of Centrient Pharmaceuticals
Rex Clements, CEO of Centrient Pharmaceuticals said: "The new Innovation Laboratory is an exhilarating strategic leap for Centrient Pharmaceuticals. It will enable us to cement our position as a technology leader, generate enduring value for our stakeholders, and secure a more competitive market standing. By building upon our existing capabilities in product and process innovation, we are poised to cultivate a broader and more diverse product portfolio rooted in innovative, sustainable manufacturing practices."
Jorge Gil-Martinez, Chief Scientific Officer of Centrient Pharmaceuticals said: “This collaboration represents a huge step in our journey towards an Open Innovation model, where we aim to create synergies with strategic partners to accelerate our mission: enable State of the Art innovative processes for our products and a diversified portfolio.”
Karl Ziegelbauer, Ph.D., Almirall's Chief Scientific Officer, added: "This agreement to host Centrient’s innovation lab at our R&D centre underscores Almirall's commitment to fostering a collaborative environment for cutting-edge innovation. At Almirall, we have always prioritized innovation, and this collaboration is another step forward in our mission to support research projects for biotech companies, start-ups, universities, and more.
Working together to catalyse open innovation
Sharing a creative scientific space will open up opportunities for open innovation between the companies as well as future partners. Working in close proximity will allow Centrient and Almirall colleagues to share knowledge and expertise as part of a tight-knit community of innovators.
Almirall's ultimate goal is to create a pharmaceutical innovation hub where different companies can execute their innovation strategies. This will create the ideal environment for innovation, with companies connecting the dots by complementing each other's capabilities and expertise.