Grifols validates MiniFrac manufacturing site

Grifols has announced an expansion of its manufacturing capacity with its validation of its MiniFrac site. This decision from the company’s executive committee will raise the plasma throughput at its manufacturing complex in Los Angeles by up to 700,000 litres.

The MiniFrac site is an independent structure alongside the firm’s Los Angeles manufacturing plant and was built by Alpha in 1999 and acquired by the company from Mitsubishi-Alpha in July 2003, but was not validated until this month.

In addition to making use of this facility, the firm will also standardize Albumin production at its Spanish sites and validate its aseptic filling and bulk processing facilities as part of its redevelopment plans.

Victor Grifols, president and chief executive officer of the firm, said: “Putting this additional capacity into service is one more step in the roll-out of our multi-year global growth strategy and is significant because it can be achieved by maximizing the value of our existing assets.”

He added that these changes will result in a combined capacity of 4.3 million litres of plasma at these two sites.

Last month, Grifols announced its financial results for the 2006 fiscal year, reporting a 23.8 per cent increase in revenues to 648 million euros (336.89 million pounds), with net profit rising 77.6 per cent to 45.4 million euros.