Grifols & Orange Business Launch Egypt Plasma Project
Global healthcare company Grifols is working with French telecoms giant Orange to create a sustainable supply of essential therapeutics for life-threatening diseases in Egypt.
Orange Business – the enterprise division of telecoms company, Orange Group – has completed the initial stage of a new data centre and communications infrastructure in Cairo, for Grifols Egypt for Plasma Derivatives (GEPD).
GEPD is a joint venture between Grifols and Egypt's National Service Projects Organisation (NSPO), which manufactures military and civilian products and provides contracting services.
The project is part of a national initiative to achieve self-sufficiency in plasma-derived medicines -- vital treatments extracted from blood plasma for various serious medical conditions.
Partnership to boost Egyptian healthcare
Grifols, a specialist in plasma-derived medicines, is seeking to interconnect critical healthcare facilities, including a plasma laboratory, co-location data centre, plasma warehouse, 20 plasma donation centres, and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility.
Orange Business is providing co-location services, which allows GEPD to house its servers in Orange's data centre. The company is also supplying communication services and support with equipment procurement.
The networked healthcare infrastructure is designed to ensure efficient operations and “the timely delivery of plasma-derived medicines to patients in need”, said Dr Ahmed Serag, Chief Strategy and Projects Officer at GEPD.
Kristof Symons, CEO International at Orange Business, said: "Our technical skills, experienced resources, and global knowledge were pivotal in enabling Grifols to replicate its global business model in Egypt. This project shows how Orange Business can support its customers in creating a positive impact in today's society."
About Grifols
Multinational healthcare company Grifols was founded in 1940 in Barcelona, Spain employs 24,000 people worldwide, and specialises in the production of plasma-derived medicines and the development of diagnostic solutions.
Its core activities include plasma collection, the manufacture of protein therapies derived from plasma, and fractionation, a process that separates a mixture into two or more fractions with different chemical and physical properties.
Grifols is conducting clinical trials for its Alzheimer's treatment, a plasma-based therapy aimed at slowing cognitive decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The company is also researching treatments for liver diseases and immunodeficiencies.
Among Grifols' products are Gamunex, an immune globulin therapy used to treat primary immunodeficiency, and Prolastin, used in the treatment of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
The firm also produces albumin solutions for fluid replacement and coagulation factors for haemophilia treatment.
In the diagnostic sector, Grifols offers blood typing systems and infectious disease screening tools. The company operates a network of plasma donation centres, primarily in the US, which form a crucial part of its supply chain for plasma-derived therapies.