Sophia Antipolis: LUNDBECK inaugurates new site

Sophia Antipolis-based Elaiapharm joined the Danish group in October, cementing the two groups’ long-standing partnership.

A market leader in the treatment of central nervous system disorders, Lundbeck announced on 6 October this year that it had acquired French packaging company Elaiapharm, one of the Danish firm’s principal suppliers.
For the Sophia Antipolis-based firm this merger with the large scale Lundbeck group, which numbers 5,500 employees and made annual sales of €1.5 billion in 2008, will allow it to increase its potential and further its growth in the European pharmaceutical packaging market. The terms specify that Elaiapharm can continue its operations and maintain staffing as well as selling its ongoing partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies.

For Lundbeck, this decision raises its production capacities with a second pharmaceutical production and packaging unit to complement the group’s Copenhagen unit, and enhances productivity while reducing costs. The inauguration of the new Lundbeck production site, which is located in 10 hectares of woodland in the heart of the technology park, was held on 4 December in the presence of France’s Industry Minister, Christian Estrosi, and Lundbeck Executive Vice President, Supply Operations & Engineering, Lars Bang. “We are particularly pleased to establish a base in the Alpes-Maritimes and particularly within Sophia Antipolis, which has been a center for innovation for almost 40 years,” underlined Lars Bang, adding that the group was also delighted to set up its presence in France, which with 60 pharmaceutical packaging sites, is the European leader in packaging.

Team Côte d’Azur will of course continue to provide all the assistance that the company needs to ensure the project’s success. The arrival of the Danish specialist in the development of drugs to treat central nervous system disorders also strengthens the Côte d’Azur’s positioning as a pioneer in this area. The region’s reputation has been built on the cutting-edge work carried out by numerous prestigious research teams, particularly those working at the CNRS, whose work on Alzheimer’s disease has set the standard in France and which from 2011 will be based in Nice at the Institut Claude Pompidou.


More about Elaiapharm:
The company specializes in developing (pilot and clinical batches), manufacturing and marketing pharmaceutical specialities, offering optimal insurance and quality control, for both the production (both dry and sterile forms), packaging and stocking of drugs. The firm employs 137 people at its site in Sophia Antipolis and makes annual sales of around €15 million.


More about Lundbeck:
Established in 1915 by Hans Lundbeck in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Lundbeck group is one of the world leaders in the treatment of disorders of the Central Nervous System, particularly in the treatment of depression, insomnia, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease.

En savoir plus : www.elaiapharm.com
www.lundbeck.com