AstraZeneca has chosen Barcelona to install a pharmaceutical research hub of international projection. The British multinational, which together with the University of Oxford has been one of the few companies in the world to develop a vaccine against covid, will make its largest investment to date in Spain in the Catalan capital to place the country at the technological forefront.

The bet comes after 300 clinical trials were carried out in Spain in 2022 with more than 4,500 patients. Its president, Rick Suárez, is “very happy” at the possibility of developing the new project.

Will new covid vaccine memories be necessary?

We have not reached the end of the pandemic, we still have patients all over the world suffering from covid. If we have to continue vaccinating ourselves, it is something that the Government has to decide. Each country is making different decisions.

How has the experience of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Spain been?

Our vaccine has reached 190 countries. It is wonderful to give so many people the opportunity to return to normality. In Spain we delivered 28 million doses and we have been a global benchmark for having citizens well protected. Aligned with the Government of Spain, we saw that there was an opportunity to take them to other parts of the world. I am very happy to have made donations to Latin America and other countries.

What has been the result of the vaccinations?

The results are that we have saved more than a million lives with our vaccine and that more than five million people have avoided hospitalization. We have to continue to study and also make sure that we are protecting immunosuppressed patients.

What experience has AstraZeneca drawn from the vaccine?

It has been a great experience for the company because it was a very difficult time and we did it without profit. We didn’t have to focus on sales, but on saving patients’ lives. Many people now view AstraZeneca and the pharmaceutical industry in a different and better light. They have seen that we can bring products to market with rigor and speed. We did it with Oxford in just nine months.

This week they have announced an R&D hub in Barcelona. What does it consist of?

We are at a key moment to place Spain on the international stage of biomedical innovation. It is an international hub that expands our global research footprint. It will be the first hub at a European level that brings our company Alexion and AstraZeneca to a single location, in the city of Barcelona, ??joining forces and becoming a reference.

What does AstraZeneca offer?

It has one of the broadest product portfolios in the industry and it is a great opportunity to attract more R&D projects to this country.

What will be done from the hub?

We will focus on innovation in our therapeutic areas, which focus on cardiovascular, respiratory, immunology, vaccines, immunotherapies, oncology and rare diseases. We are going to study each of these areas in the Barcelona hub.

What will the hiring be like?

We are going to incorporate 1,000 people by 2025 with very different profiles: experts in clinical development, operations and regulatory affairs, as well as engineers, mathematicians and statisticians. We expect a great diversity of Spanish profiles and from other countries.

Why Barcelona?

Barcelona was selected because the health sciences ecosystem will bring many profiles and it will be a great opportunity. The investment is the largest of those made to date in Spain.

Where will the hub be located?

It will be on the Diagonal. We are very happy. The most important thing is that we are committed to bringing jobs and an investment of 800 million. AstraZeneca is determined to make Spain relevant in Europe and also worldwide. He deserves it.

What do investments depend on?

We have a great commitment to investment as long as the country’s stable situation is maintained. Political and economic stability is very important to ensure long-term success for employees and the company.

Is Spain an interesting country to innovate?

We see that it has become a benchmark for the high level of professionals and for the RD ecosystem, not only in Barcelona, ??but throughout the country. It gives us confidence that Spain is one of the countries in which to focus and make this kind of investment.

What is the group’s strategy?

We are going to follow the same plan: to ensure the success of the medicines we have planned. We have 167 clinical development programs and more than 27 molecules in the advanced phase of study.

What therapeutic areas have the most potential?

AstraZeneca has a long history in respiratory, oncology and cardiology. We are leaders in the markets and in science, and we are focusing on drugs based on cell therapy, RNA and other innovations.

What expectations are there in the fight against cancer?

We want to revolutionize oncology. AstraZeneca has devoted more than 50% of its research to oncology. We think beyond to be able to say one day that cancer can be cured, and we are reaching that moment, but it requires investment.

How do inflation and interest rates affect the group?

Obviously, the scenario affects us all, but knowing that we are dedicated to science, we have to continue making the same kind of investments to provide solutions for patients.

How does the pharmaceutical group deal with the aging of the population?

It is not only a challenge for the health system. As an industry we have to understand it and find ways to help. Today’s healthcare systems were not built for citizens living to be 80 or 90 years old. It is fragile at times, but we cannot take credit from a system that has endured and has a lot of value.

How to solve the health crisis?

You have to find formulas to give support. We have the responsibility of being part of the solution and we must promote public-private collaboration. If it weren’t for her, we would be in a worse situation.