#BIOSPAIN2025 | “A key platform to foster strategic dialogue, continue building collaborative networks that generate synergies, and drive the development of innovative therapies”

As a Gold Sponsor of BIOSPAIN 2025, Alexion Pharmaceuticals  reaffirms its commitment to scientific innovation, public-private collaboration, and the strengthening of Spain’s biomedical ecosystem. On this occasion, we talk with Gonzalo de Miquel, Vice President of Global Clinical Development at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, to learn first-hand how the company is leading the development of transformative therapies in the field of rare diseases, as well as its role in the international projection of the talent and research emerging from Spain.

Alexion’s presence at BIOSPAIN 2025 reflects its vision of a more precise, inclusive, and patient-centered medicine. Through the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona, the company is positioning the city as a world reference in biomedical and digital innovation, driving the development of advanced therapies and strengthening the national scientific ecosystem. In this interview, we explore the strategic pillars of its innovation model, the role of the Hub in global research, and the perspectives behind its support for BIOSPAIN 2025.

AseBio. The AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona is already an international benchmark. Could you tell us how this project was born and what role it plays within the company’s global strategy?

Gonzalo de Miquel. The AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona, created in March 2023 together with Alexion, is a pioneering international center for scientific innovation and commercial excellence. It is part of AstraZeneca’s global strategy to integrate science, innovation, and commercial excellence, accelerating the development of the next generation of innovative treatments to address major health challenges. In this way, we aim to transform the approach to high-impact diseases such as cancer, asthma, COPD, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, lupus, or rare and pediatric diseases, applying innovative solutions and advanced technology on a global scale. The Hub plays a strategic role in Spain’s international positioning, consolidating it as a benchmark in biomedical and digital innovation through global collaboration with scientific and technological ecosystems.

AseBio. AstraZeneca has identified several priority therapeutic areas and a clear ambition toward 2030. What role does innovation play in these areas, and how is it implemented from the Barcelona Hub?

Gonzalo de Miquel. From the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona, we support all the company’s therapeutic areas and key global and strategic functions to achieve our company plans, which project the launch of 20 new medicines before the end of the decade.

Innovation is essential to this goal, with a focus on our priority areas: Oncology, Rare Diseases, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, Respiratory and Immunology, and Vaccines and Immune Therapies. Through precision medicine, genomics, cell therapy, and immuno-oncology, we develop more precise therapies and transform the way high-impact diseases are addressed.

Collaboration with hospitals, research centers, and partners in the biomedical ecosystem allows us to validate solutions early, accelerate discoveries, and ensure that scientific advances have real clinical impact. Thanks to this strategy, Barcelona is consolidating its position as a global innovation hub for AstraZeneca, reinforcing our vision of generating groundbreaking therapies and faster access for patients.

AseBio. AstraZeneca’s R&D approach focuses on advancing science and accelerating the delivery of new therapies to patients. What differentiates your research and development approach?

Gonzalo de Miquel. We combine cutting-edge science with technologies such as AI, big data, remote monitoring, and virtual reality to optimize clinical development. Currently, more than 244 global research projects and 154 clinical studies are supported by the AstraZeneca Hub team in Barcelona. We have a multidisciplinary team integrating bioinformatics, data analytics, programming, project management, and clinical expertise, ensuring a comprehensive and high-impact approach. Public-private collaboration with leading hospitals and institutions in Spain accelerates research and enables clinical trials with real impact on patients’ lives.

This distinctive approach positions the Hub as a global benchmark in clinical research, accelerating the arrival of innovative therapies and generating a tangible impact on health.

AseBio. Barcelona has gained increasing prominence as a hub for health and biomedicine. Why did you choose to locate the Hub here, and how do you think its activity contributes to strengthening the city’s position in research and health?

Gonzalo de Miquel. Catalonia hosts more than 1,500 companies and 93 health research institutions—almost 50% of Spain’s pharmaceutical industry—generating an economic impact equivalent to 7.6% of the regional GDP and employing over 281,000 people. This ecosystem combines research excellence, leading hospitals, innovative startups, and an established business network. Barcelona offers advanced scientific infrastructure, highly qualified national and international talent, a collaborative ecosystem, and investment-friendly policies, making it an ideal strategic environment for international biomedical innovation projects.

Spain is a priority country for AstraZeneca, a leader in clinical trials and with a strong contribution in Oncology; this consolidated presence reinforced the decision to establish the Hub in Catalonia. Our commitment to the region translates into an investment of approximately €1.3 billion by 2027 and the hiring of around 2,000 employees by 2025, aiming to make the Hub one of the largest in Europe in scientific innovation, commercial excellence, and digital collaboration. The Hub’s activity strengthens the local ecosystem, fostering public-private partnerships, accelerating the development of innovative therapies, generating qualified employment, and consolidating Barcelona as a strategic global hub for biomedical research and digital health.

AseBio. Gonzalo, you have an extensive career and currently lead the rare diseases area. What led you to specialize in this field, and how do you assess the impact of research on the lives of patients with these conditions?

Gonzalo de Miquel. Living with a rare disease means facing a profoundly unequal situation. In Spain, three million people live with a rare disease, but globally, the number exceeds 400 million. The journey of a rare disease patient remains highly complex: on average, it takes nearly five years to receive a diagnosis involving more than seven specialists and several misdiagnoses. Eighty percent of rare diseases are genetic. One in two patients are children. Three out of ten pediatric patients will not reach the age of five.

The challenge is enormous. Ninety percent of rare diseases have no treatment. There are not only no therapies but often no established model. The first thing patients ask for is more research. For patients without options, innovative approaches are essential.

The usual sources of information for other conditions—clinical trials, endpoints, patient registries, regulatory precedents—are often unavailable for rare diseases. Therefore, it is up to all of us—patients, caregivers, researchers, and healthcare professionals—to lay the foundations on which new treatments can be developed. Personally, after dedicating myself to developing new drugs for more prevalent diseases, where innovation is often incremental, it is very rewarding to now apply that experience to rare diseases.

This has allowed me to participate in developing therapies that provide substantial and disruptive improvements, transforming the lives of patients and their families.

AseBio. What are the main research and development areas Alexion is currently advancing?

Gonzalo de Miquel. For Alexion, the future of medicine lies in combining scientific innovation with equitable access, so that all patients—regardless of where they are born—can receive treatment. With one of the strongest early- and late-stage pipelines in rare diseases, our goal is to launch five new medicines by 2030. We are expanding our leadership in rare diseases with multiple phase III trials underway across all therapeutic areas, including hematology, nephrology, neurology, bone metabolism, cardiology, endocrinology, and rare tumors. We do so through an innovation strategy that prioritizes the development of treatments with transformative or even curative potential.

Together with our AstraZeneca colleagues, we are driving an industry-leading portfolio of genomic medicines, cell therapies, and next-generation platforms, aiming to develop innovative treatments with improved safety and efficacy profiles. We work jointly to identify opportunities where our expertise and infrastructure can deliver transformative results for patients with rare cancers. These areas represent unique opportunities to innovate in unmet medical needs and are a core part of our commitment to rare diseases.

AseBio. Finally, what motivated you to support BIOSPAIN, and what are your expectations for participating in this edition?

Gonzalo de Miquel. Our main motivation to support BIOSPAIN stems from our commitment to innovation and collaboration within the local and national science and innovation ecosystem. We see BIOSPAIN as a key platform to foster strategic dialogue and continue building collaborative networks—from startups to academic institutions and companies—that generate synergies and drive the development of innovative therapies. In addition, we are in the midst of expanding the AstraZeneca Global Hub in Barcelona. We currently have more than 1,500 highly skilled professionals and expect to reach around 2,000 by the end of 2025. BIOSPAIN is also an opportunity to showcase our project and attract talent.