Almirall sets up first direct North America presence

Almirall (ALM: MC), Spain’s largest pharmaceutical company, says it has set up a new affiliate in Canada establishing a direct presence in the North American territory for the first time. The affiliate is located in Toronto, an area highly regarded for its biopharmaceutical expertise, according to the company.

“Almirall will now have the opportunity to make directly available to Canadian patients a range of innovative medicines, especially in the respiratory and dermatology fields,” said Eduardo Sanchiz, chief executive at Almirall, adding: “This is another milestone in our internationalization process: a substantial challenge that we take on with enthusiasm.”

In the Canadian pharmaceutical business (ranking as the 8th largest globally), respiratory and dermatology are major markets. These are both key therapeutic areas for Almirall too, and on which its R&D has a particular focus, the Spanish firm said.