Bioglan Opens Cutting-Edge Facility as Swedish Innovation Powers a New Era in Parkinson’s Treatment

27 May 2025
  • Bioglan opens the Yggdrasil[1] production line in Malmö, a state-of-the-art facility enabling global access to an innovative therapy for advanced Parkinson’s disease.
  • The treatment is rooted in Nobel Prize-winning research by Professor Arvid Carlsson and provides continuous relief when oral medications are no longer effective.
  • Developed in record time, the project marks a turning point in Swedish pharmaceutical manufacturing. By extending shelf life and overcoming complex industrial challenges, it stands as a milestone in innovation and reflects Reig Jofre’s commitment to making meaningful science universally accessible and transforming lives through healthcare impact.

[1] Yggdrasil is, according to the Old Norse mythology, an unimaginably large ash tree that stands in the center of the world. From its branches that extend across the entire world and up into the sky, dew falls over the world. Dew in this case would be the gel that treat Parkinson’s.

 

BIOGLAN, a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in semi-solid product development and manufacturing for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries -and integrated within REIG JOFRE, (BME:RJF), a publicly traded Spanish pharmaceutical company- has recently inaugurated the Yggdrasil production line at its facility in Malmö, Sweden. This new infrastructure marks a major milestone in the global supply of an innovative therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease.

The event brings together leading representatives from the City of Malmö, including Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö, and Micael Nord, Director of Business Development and External Relations. Also attending are strategic partners such as Rui Godinho (Head of Tech Ops Specialty, VP, STADA), Mark Christodoulou (Associate Director, MS&T and PMO, Tech Ops Global Specialty, Britannia), Max Davies (ESO Manager, Britannia), and Mandeep Singh (CMC Project Manager, Britannia), highlighting the international cooperation driving this initiative.

The event was also attended by the full Bioglan team, led by CEO Simon Björklund, as well as a delegation from the parent company Reig Jofre, including several members of its executive team and its CEO, Ignasi Biosca, highlighting the importance of the initiative for the company as a whole.

Strategic partners also played a key role in the success of the project. STADA and Britannia contributed with their scientific and technical expertise throughout the construction process, demonstrating the strength of international collaboration in delivering complex, patient-centered therapies to the market.

The Yggdrasil line stems from a bold project launched in 2019, when Bioglan was selected to scale up production of a gel-based therapy designed for patients who no longer respond to oral medication. Administered directly into the small intestine, the treatment offers stable and sustained symptom relief, significantly improving patients’ quality of life.