Grifols Donates 25M-Plus Units in 2017, Same Planned for 2018

Grifols, a Spanish biotherapeutics company that employs some 2,500 people in North Carolina, donated more than 25 million international units (IU) of blood clotting factor in 2017, as part of an eight-year commitment to changing the lives of people with hemophilia in 47 countries who have limited access to treatment.

The Barcelona-based company, which established its presence in North Carolina in June 2011 when it acquired Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp. for $3.4 billion, says it will provide a minimum of 200 million IU to the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Humanitarian Aid Program over eight years. The program started in 2014.

An estimated 400,000 people around the world have hemophilia, yet only about 100,000 receive adequate treatment.

Grifols said it expects to make another donation of nearly 25 million IU in 2018.

"On World Hemophilia Day, we celebrate our long-standing commitment to the bleeding disorders community,” said Victor Grifols Deu, Co-CEO of Grifols. "Grifols is dedicated to supporting the mission of the WFH and we share the common goal of helping to ensure life-changing treatments reach patients who have little or no access to care.”

Through the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program, Grifols has been able to transform the lives of hemophilia patients who previously had little hope or ability to manage their disease. Because of the Company’s donation patients around the world are able to proactively manage their disease by preventing serious bleeds that can lead to unbearable pain and even death.

Produces plasma-derived medicines

Grifols produces plasma-derived medicines to treat rare, chronic diseases such as hemophilia and also develops solutions for the diagnoses of bleeding disorders. The company has increased its production of blood clotting factor medicines (Factor VIII and Factor IX) to specifically meet its donation commitment to this program.

According the WFH, Grifols’ full donations will secure a projected average of 10,300 doses to treat approximately 6,000 patients per year in developing countries worldwide through 2021.

“The commitment that Grifols has made to the WFH Humanitarian Aid Program ensures access to treatment for many in need,” said Alain Bauman, CEO of WFH and executive director of WFH USA. “We are grateful for this continued support, helping us work towards our global mission.”

Grifols’ donation also supports the second decade of the WFH Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) Program aimed at increasing the number of patients diagnosed and treated for bleeding disorders, particularly in the world’s most impoverished countries.