Creating new perspectives in healthcare
We are driven by the purpose of improving lives through pharmaceutical innovation. Knowing that our knowledge and expertise can concretely improve people’s health and well-being, we strive every day to improve healthcare by researching and developing innovative solutions for disease prevention, management, and cure. Our daily work is inspired by the firm belief that everyone deserves access to healthcare that empowers them to live their lives to the fullest.
Mission
Italfarmaco Group is a leading organization that specializes in the development, manufacture, and marketing of prescription and non-prescription products. Our primary objective is to increase our investment in research and development activities, with a particular focus on developing high-quality, effective solutions for patients and healthcare providers worldwide. We are also committed to developing innovative treatments for specialty and rare diseases. Our organization is dedicated to excellence and we work to achieve sustainable growth and have a positive impact on society and the environment.
Vision
Embedded in our family-owned heritage, our company is dedicated to sustainable success, striving to be a global leader in pharmaceutical innovation and excellence. We focus on expanding our product portfolio, which includes branded prescription and non-prescription products with a particular focus on rare diseases. We are committed to consolidating our presence in global markets through a strategy that balances organic growth with strategic partnerships worldwide.
Meet our Leaders
Francesco De Santis
Francesco De Santis was born in 1956 in Milan and obtained a pharmacy degree from the University of Milan in 1981. With over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, he is currently the Chairman of Italfarmaco SpA.
Francesco De Santis started his career at Italfarmaco in 1981 at the age of 25. Throughout his journey within the company, he has held significant positions, including General Manager, Director, Chairman of Italfarmaco Spa, and Chairman of Italfarmaco Holding SpA. In each of these roles, he played a key role in the internationalization process and the establishment of all Group companies.
Additionally, from 2012 to 2019 he was a Member of the Technical Research and Innovation Committee of Confindustria and served as Vice President of Farmindustria from 2011 to 2019.
Today he is a Member of the Presidential Committee of Farmindustria and, since 2020, he holds the position of Vice President of Confindustria for Research & Development.
Carlos Barallobre
Carlos Barallobre holds a degree in Business Administration from ICADE University in Madrid and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau. He has more than 30 years of diverse experience in pharmaceuticals and private equity.
Carlos began his professional career in 1993 as a Business Analyst at Mercapital (currently Alantra Private Equity). During his 20 years at the firm he held various positions and was promoted to Managing Partner in 2012. Throughout his tenure in private equity Carlos executed numerous investment transactions, contributed to the fundraising of four investment vehicles and developed deep expertise in the healthcare industry.
In 2014, Carlos joined Italfarmaco, where he served in various roles, including Vice President of Latin America and Vice President of Strategic Planning. In 2016, he was appointed Group CEO. Working closely with Italfarmaco’s Board, Carlos led a strategic review process that resulted in a new organizational design and guided the accelerated expansion of the group into new countries and business segments in recent years.
Where we are
90+ countries, 1 Global Vision
Map shows our worldwide presence with local branches and partners companies distributing our products in over 90 countries.
A glance to our value
FCST GROSS
SALES 2024
PROPRIETARY
PRODUCTS
INVESTMENT IN MANUFACTURING
(2020-2024)
PRODUCT INDUSTRIAL
UNITS PER YEAR
Pharmaceutical FDFs
* Pharmaceutical FDFs stands for “Pharmaceutical Finished Dosage Forms”. This refers to the final form of a pharmaceutical product that is ready for use by patients, such as tablets, capsules, injections, ointments, etc., after the completion of all manufacturing processes.
Our production plants
We oversee the entire process of creating drugs, from start to finish, to ensure their quality as medicines. We have six advanced production facilities; in each, we manufacture different products: injectable and solid oral products in Milan; liquid oral products in Madrid and Santiago de Chile; semi-solid products in Barcelona; API products in Frosinone (Italy) and Salvador de Bahia manufacture. We also have Chemi Spa, an Italian pharmaceutical chemical company that produces complex molecules, including the synthesis of the active ingredient (API) and the pharmaceutical form of injectable drugs.
We continuously invest in technology to maintain modern, flexible facilities, a high production capacity, quality, safety, and environmental sustainability, as modern disease solutions require a contemporary approach.
Our History
Founded in 1938 in Milan, Italfarmaco has left a compelling mark on the national and international pharmaceutical landscape. From its establishment until the 1970s, the company steadily solidified its position, emerging as a key player in the industry. With a robust franchise in thrombosis and cardiovascular areas, Italfarmaco gained recognition as a force to be reckoned with in the Italian mid-market segment. But its story didn’t end there.
In 1976, Dr. Gastone De Santis joined the company, acquiring a stake and setting the stage for transformative leadership combining his passion for research and managerial activity. By 1980, he had assumed full control, becoming the chairman of the board of directors. That same year, his son, Francesco De Santis, stepped into the spotlight at just twenty-five years old. As managing director, and then as appointed Chairman, Francesco De Santis spearheaded an ambitious internationalization process that continues to this day.
Italfarmaco’s global expansion took various forms—licensing contracts, collaboration agreements, direct presence establishment and strategic acquisitions.
In 1991, the founding of Italfarmaco S.A. in Spain marked a pivotal moment, kicking-off the company’s expansion across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Throughout this journey, Italfarmaco’s resolute focus on research and development has been the cornerstone of its success, with the consolidation of its footprints in several therapeutic areas such as women’s health and the focus on addressing significant unmet medical needs in rare diseases.
Today, Italfarmaco stands as a patient and innovation oriented, bridging borders and working in advancing healthcare and quality of life.