Grifols and IrsiCaixa join forces to promote biomedical research on HIV and associated diseases

Barcelona, April 6, 2018.- Grifols, (MCE:GRF, MCE:GRF.P y NASDAQ:GRFS), one of the top three worldwide producers of plasma-derived medicines and a forerunner in the research and development of therapeutic alternatives that drive scientific and social progress, today announced a new collaboration agreement with IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute.

Under the agreement, Grifols will finance current and future research lines to advance the search for new treatments for HIV/AIDS and associated diseases, such as infectious, oncological, neurodegenerative and age-related conditions. The accord will also enable IrsiCaixa to address other critical challenges in the biomedical field, including the study of the human microbiome and emerging infectious diseases, and leverage its accumulated knowledge on HIV/AIDS and resultant immune disorder. In alignment with its longstanding dedication to innovation, Grifols will contribute EUR 1.5 million per year over the next five years to support these efforts.

IrsiCaixa is a private non-profit foundation established in 1995 by "la Caixa" Banking Foundation and the Ministry of Health of the Government of Catalonia. For more than 20 years, it has headed research to eradicate HIV/AIDS and associated diseases. Its unique model for collaboration fosters the transfer of knowledge among key stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS and advances the search for new solutions to treat and eradicate the disease.

As a result of this collaboration agreement, Grifols is now one of two preferential financial partners chosen to fund IrsiCaixa's new research lines, together with "la Caixa" Banking Foundation. In addition to financing rights, the accord grants Grifols preference to exploit the results and patents stemming from IrsiCaixa's diverse research initiatives. Nonetheless, IrsiCaixa will retain exclusive ownership and the rights to use results for in-house research initiatives. 

A follow-up committee will meet periodically to assess the progress of IrsiCaixa's research projects. Committee members will include representatives from Grifols and IrsiCaixa, including Bonaventura Clotet, the director of IrsiCaixa, president of the Fight AIDS Foundation, and head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital.

The collaboration agreement was signed through Grifols Innovation and New Technologies (GIANT), responsible for channeling the group's investments in R+D companies and research initiatives.

About IrsiCaixa

The IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute was founded in 1995 by l'Obra Social "la Caixa" and the Catalonian Government Ministry of Health to promote research on HIV/AIDS and associated diseases. IrsiCaixa is located in Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona (Barcelona). The center has over 75 professionals dedicated to scientific research, education and dissemination and collaborates with more than 3,000 patients and healthcare professionals at the hospital's Infectious Diseases Unit. The institute's current strategic lines include complementary research on immune system conditions, such as intestinal microbiome, cancer, neurodegenerative conditions and emerging infectious conditions.