Winds of Change Dompé: Excellence in Healthcare Innovation

The healthcare and pharmaceutical industry has been experiencing a period of rapid change over the last decade, from the growth of populations in the developing world to the impact of ageing and the arising of new and more targeted medical needs. As a result of these new challenges, the industry is seeing a boom in innovation, with biotechnology becoming increasingly important, alongside personalized treatments. Another area of growth is in rare and orphan disease treatments, a sector that has become increasingly important over the last few years.

Choosing the “playing field” has become an imperative for the pharmaceutical companies all over the world: from developing drugs that could offer a therapeutic response to widespread health needs, to using R&D with the aim of responding in a targeted manner to the needs of the individual through network-orientated research.


“The distinctive characteristic of the Company is that it is becoming global while preserving its Italian DNA.”


CEO- Eugenio-Aringhieri_CEO-Dompé

In this very complex and competitive world scenario, the Dompé Group is working every day to provide effective responses to patients around the world who are waiting for innovative therapeutic solutions. With more than 70 years of experience, Dompé is a historical firm in the Italian pharmaceutical market, strongly committed today to innovation in the healthcare sector.

Talking about the Company’s “playing field” means talking about two sides of the same coin: incremental innovation on the one hand, and breakthrough innovation on the other one. 

Dompé is historically well known in the areas of primary care and self-medication. Its incremental innovation-based strategic approach has allowed the Company to develop products that will be marketed in more than 50 countries throughout the world in the next few years. In particular, the Group has a consolidated extensive expertise in areas such as respiratory and pain/inflammation conditions, for which it offers some of the most used solutions in Italy.

Since 2012, Dompé has promoted the implementation of its portfolio by investing in research, production and marketing of products indicated for the treatment of symptoms such as headache, cough and inflammation. In the headache area it launched its first OTC solution, which became a market leader in less than a year from its launch.

The heart of Dompé’s production – which is completely “Made in Italy” – is the plant based in L’Aquila. Founded in 1993, it occupies an area of over 30,000 m2 and is one of the leading centre of excellence in Central and Southern Italy, recognized at national level, as well as internationally.

The site houses the largest granulator in Europe and it produces almost 30 million drug packages marketed in Italy and abroad. In the future, the aim is to enhance the plant capacity in order to cover the needs from new markets worldwide.

The breakthrough innovation approach, which is the other side of the coin, starts here as well. The R&D centre in L’Aquila employs over 70 researchers and focuses its activities on the research and development of new synthetic and biotechnology drugs. Through specific scientific and technical expertise consolidated over the years, it covers the entire Drug Discovery process, from the early stages of research to clinical development. Since 2000, the site also hosts a biotech unit dedicated to the development of investigational products for rare and orphan diseases. 

The distinctive characteristic of the Company is that it is becoming global while preserving its Italian DNA. The decision to concentrate on global healthcare problems requires a vision that goes beyond national boundaries, that’s why Dompé ongoing activities in Italy go hand in hand with its international development strategy.

The production and R&D centre in L’Aquila is in fact the starting point of the development of some molecules that are now being tested throughout the world by promoting international clinical trials in areas with therapeutic needs that are still unmet (such as ophthalmology, oncology, diabetes and organ transplantation), thanks to the collaboration with a global network of 200 research centres located in three continents (Europe, the USA, and Asia).  

It is this fil rouge of therapeutic innovation that unites the Italian roots to the international offices the Company opened first in New York and then in Tirana and Barcelona; in the coming months, these will be joined by offices in Germany, United Kingdom and France as a means of further strengthening European presence.

The goal, therefore, for Dompé is pretty similar to its own starting point: focusing on real patients’ needs to provide innovative and effective solutions at a global level, by sharing knowledge and competences on Research & Development worldwide.

For more information

www.dompe.com