Hemobras expands access to public health in Brazil
The Empresa Brasileira de Hemoderivados e Biotecnologia (Hemobras) is a public enterprise linked to the Ministry of Health. The company?s intent is to broaden access to public health to all Brazilians through the national production of medicines derivative from blood or attained by genetic engineering. To make its goal possible, Hemobras is building, in the Northeastern part of Brazil, the largest high complex manufacturing plant in Latin America, with the capacity to process 500 thousand liters of plasma every year.
Hemobras factory operational in 2017
Hemobras factory will be ready to operate in 2017. However, since September of 2012, an important section of the plant has been serving its purpose housing a cold room at -35 degrees Celsius. That’s where the plasma is received, put under triage and then sent to storage. Parallel to the construction of the factory, Hemobras progresses with two technology transfer processes: with the French Laboratory of Biotechnologies (LFB), established in 2007, and with Baxter International, since 2012.
Hemobras partnerships
The partnership with LFB focuses on the production of blood derivatives. Understanding the importance of this deal is simple if one takes into consideration the fact that Brazil spends R$ 1 Billion a year importing blood derivatives from other countries.
Romulo Maciel Filho, CEO of Hemobras: "The national production of blood derivatives and coagulation factor products is extremely important because it reduces Brazil?s vulnerability in the international market. Today, only 15 countries house high complexity plants for the production of blood derivatives, and only three of those produce recombinant factor VIII”.
Hemobras is building the largest high complex manufacturing plant in Latin America.