Explore our recent stories to see what drives us
Our patient-centric presence in Peru
The tale of our first ever affiliate involves some unexpected twists and turns. Grünenthal had been exporting medicines to Latin America for more than 15 years. Then something changed: Peru’s military government introduced a ban on imported pharma products. For our local colleagues, it was a big shock – and a big opportunity. The market was growing, the country was stable. It was an attractive place to invest. Our local delegate took an unusual but historic decision that transformed Grünenthal forever. The rest, as they say, is history.
Grünenthal began operating in Peru in 1968, and we now employ around 80 people at our site in Lima. We provide a diverse range of treatments, including solutions for pain management and women’s health. This portfolio received an enormous boost in 2013, when we acquired Laboratorios Andrómaco S.A. – which almost doubled our company’s revenue in Latin America. After celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Grünenthal Peruana in 2018, we created our Andean cluster in 2019 to tap into valuable synergies between our businesses in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
More than a quarter of patients in Peru report moderate or severe pain – but more than 40 percent of patients are not satisfied with the treatment they receive. Back pain is a particularly urgent challenge because 35 percent of Peruvian patients with lumbar zone pain state that it limits their capacity to perform daily tasks. On top of this, 31 percent of Peruvian patients with cancer report intolerably severe pain. Palliative care is also an important topic in Peru, where 120,000 people die of terminal illnesses each year.
“We’re deeply proud of our long tradition of improving quality of life for patients in Peru.”
Our dedicated team is constantly striving to improve care for people across Peru and its neighbouring countries. Their efforts include providing education for healthcare professionals to optimise outcomes for patients. Grünenthal Peruana has also actively supported major changes to the provision of palliative care in Peru by participating in discussions with the Ministry of Health. Access to palliative care was recognised as a legal right in Peru in 2015, while a national plan for oncological palliative care was published in 2017 and the Peruvian Society of Palliative Care Nurses was established in 2018. Around 1,000 physicians attended the International Congress on Palliative Care in Latin America, which “La Fundación Grunenthal” hosted in Lima in 2018. Moving forward, our local team will continue to adapt its business model to focus on the products with the highest potential to drive sustainable growth – and improve the standard of care for patients in Peru.
