Bioiberica, the responsibility of leading the world's heparin production

Bioiberica is a global Spanish life sciences company committed to improving the health and well-being of people, animals and plants with a track record going back more than 45 years. It specialises in identifying, extracting and developing molecules of biological origin that are then transformed into high quality products for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, veterinary, animal nutrition and agricultural industries.

This specialisation has positioned us as one of the world's leading companies in the production of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) heparin. Heparin has been deemed an essential medicine by the World Health Organization (WHO) and, in fact, both unfractionated heparin (UFH) and its low molecular weight derivatives (LMWH) are the most widely used group of anticoagulants for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis worldwide. Currently, one out of every five doses of heparin administered in the world is produced by Bioibérica.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been terrible due to its effect on people's health and it will have very worrying consequences for the world's economies. Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a condition that includes deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), occurs in some COVID-19 patients, especially those hospitalised and at an advanced stage of the illness. VTE consists of an abnormal blood clot that forms in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis while a PE occurs when a clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. Prophylaxis and treatment of VTE, whatever the cause, is one of the main uses of heparin.

According to a study led by Dr. Valentín Fuster, director of the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) and the Mount Sinai Heart in New York, people hospitalised as a result of COVID-19 who are treated with anticoagulants can improve their chances of survival. The study looked at six different anticoagulant regimens. Of these, therapeutic and prophylactic low molecular weight heparin and therapeutic apixaban achieved the best results.

This observational study is an extension of previously published research on nearly 3,000 COVID-19 patients which showed that patients hospitalised with COVID-19 and treated with anticoagulants significantly improved their health, both in and out of intensive care. This work was based on the fact that many hospitalised COVID-19 patients develop life-threatening blood clots.

This anticoagulation therapy has been associated with improved survival rates among such patients. Specifically, patients treated with anticoagulants have about a 50% greater chance of survival and about a 30% lower chance of intubation than patients not taking anticoagulants.

In 2020, Bioibérica celebrated 45 years of commitment to producing Heparin API, always observing and complying with the highest standards of quality and safety.

During this health and social crisis we have remained faithful to our responsibility and commitment: to continue working to guarantee the production and distribution of heparin and all its active pharmaceutical ingredients following the highest standards of quality and safety.