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Foto: Esteve.
 28.04.2020

Esteve adds its weight to the fight against the pandemic through donations and research collaborations

Esteve is participating in 3 European projects aimed at identifying and/or repositioning drugs that are active against COVID-19; at detecting SARS-CoV-2 ; and at analyzing the involvement of the sigma-1 receptor in the viral infection cycle. Additionally, the pharmaceutical group –which has its Drug Discovery and Preclinical Development Center at the Barcelona Science Park– has made donations targeted at health professionals, patients and people on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Esteve is participating in the European supercomputing platform EXSCALATE4CoV (EAC), financed by the European Commission in a recent express call related to COVID-19 within the framework of the H2020 programme. The objective of this project is twofold. On the one hand, the aim is to identify/reposition drugs that are active against COVID-19 through a process of in silico simulations (via computer simulation) and in vitro validations. And, on the other hand, to develop and consolidate an effective tool to counteract future epidemics.

The pharmaceutical laboratory has also provided equipment with state-of-the-art technology to perform mass COVID-19 detection tests, in a joint initiative of the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), the Centro nacional de Análisis genómico (CNAG), the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), and the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona).

It has also supplied a research compound with selective sigma-1 activity so that in vitro studies can be carried out both nationally and internationally. According to a recently published study1 by an international consortium of more than 90 researchers from around the world, the sigma-1 receptor may be involved in SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 infection.

Ever since this global pandemic began, Esteve has continued to guarantee the supply of essential and non-essential drugs by applying additional internal control mechanisms and by adapting its active ingredient production plants both in Spain (Celrà and Banyeres del Penedès) and elsewhere in the world.

Donations solidarity campaign

Esteve has made donations targeted at health professionals, patients and people on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been made through the Ministry of Health and the Catalan Union of Hospitals and have been distributed to several hospitals in Spain, while fruit and food have been donated through Refruiting and the Food Bank. The company is also collaborating in national and international research in the fight against COVID-19.

The pharmaceutical group has donated healthcare material to help protect healthcare professionals caring for patients with COVID-19. Specifically, 200 protective suits, 30,000 gloves, 1,000 masks and 800 booties.

Esteve has also been keen to contribute to the welfare of health professionals by distributing more than one hundred boxes of fresh fruit, equivalent to over half a ton (676 kg), to different hospitals in Madrid (the La Paz Hospital and the Gregorio Marañón Hospital) and Barcelona (the Clínic Hospital and the Vall d’Hebron Hospital), and by donating food to the Food Bank so that it can be distributed to the most vulnerable people and families.