Research & Development

Research, innovation and development are the driving forces for Chiesi's growth. Chiesi opened a new research and development centre at Karolinska Institute's Campus in Solna in spring 2020. Chiesi invests continuously in research and development, with the focus on innovative drugs within four areas: respiratory diseases, neonatal medicine, rare diseases and special care. At the research and development centre in Stockholm, some 20 employees are engaged in research focused on new aids and innovative products. 

The investment that Chiesi is making in research at the Karolinska Institute's Campus in Solna is in line with the recently presented Life Science Strategy. The proximity to care gives us increased opportunities for clinical trials with better incentive models. The focus on being leader within precision medicine with the ambition to strengthen collaboration between the business and academic worlds is a further goal that we share with the Life Science Strategy.

We don't compromise when it comes to health and the environment

A central factor for Chiesi is not having to compromise between, on the one hand, the environment, and on the other, medicinal needs and patients' health. Chiesi has therefore made investments in, and is currently developing, a new climate smart inhalator for patients with asthma and COPD. The goal is to be able to offer all patients with respiratory diseases the treatment that they need without it impacting on the environment and the climate.

Chiesi R&D, research and development

Our research and development team are fundamental to our operation, with the focus on pipeline, innovations, preclinical research and development of quality and manufacturing control. In addition, the team supports and develops drug delivery technology (how a drug can be delivered to a specific area without damaging healthy cells), regulatory issues, pharmacovigilance and intellectual property. The R&D team is also responsible for the products that are already available on the market through pharmacovigilance and supervisory activities.

Own research with focus on pipeline

The head office for research and development is located in the new Research and Development Centre in Parma in Italy, but the team also has centres in Paris, France, Chippenham, UK, Cary in the USA, and next to the Karolinska Institute Campus in Solna in Sweden.

The majority of our drugs derive from in-house research, 75% come from the products developed by our research and development team, but development of new drugs also takes place via collaborations and partnerships with other pharmaceutical companies.

Increased proportion invested in research

For several years, an increasing proportion of the company's revenues have been invested in research and development. Out of 1,000 European companies, the Chiesi Group is the top Italian company for investments in research and development. [1] Another important statistic that emphasises the major commitment of the Chiesi Group to research and development is that we are one of the pharmaceutical companies that has registered most patents in Europe, and the leader in Italy. [2]

Biotechnology, small molecules, gene and cell therapy

The number of research and development projects is increasing and diversifying, which is leading to a widening of the company's therapeutic range with new research areas and know-how within biotechnology, gene therapy and transplantation. Chiesi is conducting research to widen its range of products with different types of drugs containing traditional small molecules, including biotechnology products (proteins) and advanced therapeutics (gene and cell therapy) and can contribute innovative ways to approach new disease areas. Despite this, our focus will remain within our principal therapeutic areas of respiratory diseases, neonatology and rare diseases.

During the last six years, Chiesi has achieved sustainable growth entailing an increase in income of 52%, the launch of a new product on average every two years, the opening of seven new subsidiaries and the creation of over 1,200 new jobs

[1]     European Commission, Joint Research Centre, EU Industrial R&D Scoreboard 2017.

[2]     European Patent Office, 2017 Report.