Faes Farma

Faes Farma was born in 1933 on the banks of the Bilbao estuary, in the town of Lamiaco, with our first pharmaceutical factory spanning 4,000 m².

In 1941, Laboratorios Vitoria was established in Lisbon. During this decade, Faes Farma was a prominent player in the development of new pharmaceutical products.

In these decades, the company focused on strengthening its chemical business, developing a diverse range of products from intravenous infusion therapy to chemical compounds and agricultural insecticides and phytosanitary products for agricultural use.

The 1970s marked a significant phase for Faes Farma as it consolidated its pharmaceutical business. The company expanded its product range to 73 references, including antibiotics, antiepileptics, and others for various conditions. In 1978, Faes Farma achieved a pharmaceutical milestone with the synthesis of Hidrosmin, later launched as Venosmil.

1980 saw Faes Farma acquiring the Madrid-based laboratory Iquinosa. The final merger only took place in 2010.

In 1987, Venosmil, with the active ingredient Hidrosmin, a result of Faes Farma’s pharmacological research, was launched on the market.

During this decade, Faes Farma expanded its product range through in-licensing commercial agreements, specialising in the vascular, psychiatry, osteoporosis, and respiratory fields, among others.

Around the same time, the company began acquiring pharmaceutical products from other companies, including Hidroferol and Alergical in 1993.

Faes Farma continues to increase its pharmacological potential with in-licensing agreements in the fields of asthma & COPD. It also expanded its product range through the acquisition of pharmaceutical products and diversified into animal nutrition and health.

Faes Farma acquired Zyloric for Spain and Portugal in 2000, Dezacor – Rosilan in 2002 for Spain and Portugal respectively, and Claversal for Spain.

In 2003, Pankreoflat was also acquired for Spain and Portugal.

The company acquired Ipsen’s Primary Care division, adding a significant group of established pharmaceutical products to its portfolio.

In 2007, the Faes Farma Group acquired Ingaso Farm, diversifying into animal nutrition and health.

Faes Farma has always been driven by an unwavering spirit of research. This dedication was rewarded on 9 September 2010 with the historic approval by the German Agency (BfArM), acting as a reference state under a decentralised procedure, of Bilastine (INN), a second-generation antihistamine resulting from Faes Farma’s research.

Bilastine is marketed in Spain under the brand name Bilaxten.

This marked the global expansion of Bilastine, and agreements were secured with major pharmaceutical companies for European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Asian markets, including Japan, a key player in the antihistamine market.

Mr. Mariano Ucar Angulo was appointed Chair of the Board of Directors, succeeding Mr. Eduardo Fernández de Valderrama y Murillo, after a long and distinguished tenure.

In the same year, Faes Farma acquired from IPSEN PHARMA the commercialization licence for Tanakene®.

This year marked yet another milestone in the company’s history with the approval of our molecule, Bilastine, in Japan, and the start of its commercialization in the world’s largest antihistamine market.

Faes Farma solidified its growth in animal nutrition and health with the acquisition of Tecnovit, and in 2018, took full ownership of Capselos.

In the pharmaceutical field, the company acquired Laboratorios Diafarm, significantly expanding our product range and presence in healthcare retail.

2018 also marked the consolidation of Faes Farma’s international strategy, begun in 2009, with the establishment of subsidiaries in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Nigeria.

This year, Faes Farma acquired BCN Medical, S.A., headquartered in Colombia with subsidiaries in Ecuador, Chile, and Peru, bolstering our presence and strength in the Latin American market, strategically important for the company.

The year was marked by the global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which is gradually being defeated with the arrival of vaccines. Faes Farma was able to continue running the business through these challenging times and showcased its social responsibility side with actions such as the manufacturing of 100,000 litres of WHO-recommended hand sanitiser for donation to the National Health Management Institute, health services and other social and healthcare entities.

In 2021, Faes Farma decided to expand its industrial capacity by constructing a new pharmaceutical plant in Derio (Bizkaia), which will enter operation between 2021 and 2024, with an approximate investment of 150 million euros. This state-of-the-art facility, spanning over 60,000 square metres, will triple our current capacity to meet future demands and lay the foundation for growth in the coming decade, aiming to create value for shareholders, employees, and society at large.

Faes Farma acquired Global Farma, S.A., headquartered in Guatemala, covering the entire Central America-Dominican Republic region, where the pharmaceutical market is the fourth largest in Latin America after Brazil, Mexico (where Faes Farma is already present), and Argentina.

This year saw the merger by absorption of Laboratorios Diafarm, S.A.U. into Faes Farma, S.A., effective from June 2021.

The commitment to the Latin American market was evidenced by a significant expansion of the commercial team in Mexico.

Faes Farma further solidified its international expansion, in line with its global vocation. Bilastine is currently marketed in more than 130 countries. Faes Farma reached out-licensing agreements for several products across various European markets and the United States.

The acquisition of Novosci in Dubai strengthened Faes Farma’s commitment to the Africa-Middle East market.

Faes Farma’s current international presence includes six subsidiaries in Latin America (Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru), a subsidiary in Portugal, a 51% stake in an Italian entity, a subsidiary in Africa (Nigeria), and its newest subsidiary in the Middle East (Dubai).