Bracco Spa
Bracco is an international Group active in the healthcare sector and a leader in diagnostic imaging. It has around 3,587 employees and annual total consolidated revenues of around 1,4 billion euros, 89% of which from international sales. In the Research and Development area, the company invests approximately 10% of reference turnover in the imaging diagnostics and medical devices sectors and has a portfolio comprising over 2,000 patents.
Company details
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- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Medical Equipment
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
- Year Founded:
- 1955
- Employees:
- Over 1000
The Group
The Group’s main products are contrast agents, medical substances used to improve the diagnostic accuracy of biomedical imaging and the care of patients affected by diseases of varying type and severity. Contrast agents are routinely and widely used in all diagnostic imaging modalities, such as radiographic procedures, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound and nuclear medicine.
GLOBAL COMMERCIAL PRESENCEBracco contrast media are sold in over 100 countries, both directly and indirectly through branches, joint ventures and licence and distribution agreements. Thanks to the quality and reliability of its products, the Group boasts leading positions in the most important geographical areas such as North America, China, Europe and Japan.
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN DNAResearch and Development activities are concentrated in the laboratories in Geneva and Lausanne (Switzerland), Monroe and Silicon Valley (United States) and Italy (Colleretto Giacosa). Each research centre has specialised experience and expertise at the absolute cutting edge in different imaging modalities and operates in synergy with the medical and regulatory departments, whose operations are located in Milan (Italy), Konstanz (Germany), Paris (France), Monroe and Long Island (United States), Montreal (Canada), Mexico City (Mexico), São Paulo (Brazil), Beijing (China), and Tokyo (Japan).
THE PRODUCTION ACTIVITIESThanks to constant investment in operating processes, Bracco has reached levels of excellence in quality, in full compliance with all applicable regulations in every country where it operates, and with special attention paid to ecologically sustainable production. The production activities of Bracco Imaging are carried out in Italy (Ceriano Laghetto, Torviscosa and Colleretto Giacosa), Canada (Montreal), Switzerland (Geneva), Germany (Singen), Japan (Saitama) and China (Shanghai).
NEW ACQUISITIONS:SURGVISION AND BLUE EARTH DIAGNOSTICS
In October 2017 Bracco acquired SurgVision, a high-tech innovative start-up company specialized in developing a real-time Fluorescence Image Guided Surgery platform combining a targeted imaging agent and a device for efficient tumor visualization during oncology surgical procedures.
In 2019 Bracco Imaging also enriched its product portfolio by expanding the range of oncology nuclear imaging solutions in the urology segment and other specialties with the acquisition of Blue Earth Diagnostics. The company is active in molecular imaging with innovative agents for positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with suspected recurrent prostate cancer.
OTHER IMPORTANT AREAS OF ACTIVITYThe Bracco diagnostic imaging product portfolio is completed by medical devices and advanced imaging agents injection systems (Acist and Bracco Injeneering). Another important area of activity of the Bracco Group regards the healthcare services provided by the Centro Diagnostico Italiano, a polyclinic based in Milan.
THE COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITYSince its foundation, Bracco has been a socially responsible company in each area of activity - in business as in every other context. The company is strongly committed to social, educational, environmental and cultural improvement and in the promotion of Gender Equality.
Bracco Worldwide
Through its controlled company, Bracco Imaging, the Bracco Group operates all over the world, either directly or indirectly through branches, joint-ventures, partnerships, or distribution and agency agreements.
Bracco Group Quality Policy
Bracco is committed to provide safe, reliable, effective products and services for the Patients and Customers through Quality excellence.
The Quality organization has the appropriate level of independence and authority to act using the highest quality standards and promoting the quality culture company-wide.
The Quality Management System is designed to exceed compliance requirements, to support, measure and continuously improve Processes and activities with ethics and integrity.
Each Bracco employee owns Quality and is responsible for his/her Objectives and related metrics which are constantly monitored and shared.
The Quality Policy is communicated and integrated across the company at every level of the organization.
Bracco Research & Innovation
For years the Bracco Group has been investing substantial resources in research, pre-clinical and clinical development of Imaging Agents for in vivo imaging. IA are used with special equipment to provide physicians with detailed information for diagnoses and to monitor minimally invasive operating procedures. Technological advances in equipment, combined with IA, permit a very high level of diagnostic accuracy and procedure monitoring for most pathologies.
Iopamidol, the first molecule discovered and developed by Bracco in 1981, was followed by other IA created, developed and marketed by Bracco for X-ray, Magnetic Resonance, Ultrasound and Nuclear Medicine.
In the last few years, the Group has acquired competences and research skills in imaging-related sectors such as automatic IA delivery systems – at the Acist laboratories in Minneapolis, USA – and medical software for quantitative analysis of images. Its research work has a specific goal: to improve and facilitate diagnostic accuracy and treatment procedures to optimize medical services for patients.
INNOVATION CENTERSR&D work is organized and performed in the Group’s centers in Colleretto Giacosa, near Ivrea (CRB – Bracco Research Center), Geneva (Bracco Suisse S.A.) and USA, (Fremont - Silicon Valley, Princeton - New Jersey, Minneapolis e Maple Grove - Minnesota), which together form one of the world’s most important know-how networks. The three centers – whose competences are geared to continuous innovation– work on a coordinated basis.
The Research Centers in Ivrea and in Ginevra are mainly active in the initial discovery phase of new molecules and new sustainable processes; Princeton then transforms the discovery into products for human users.
By integrating groups with disparate approaches and cultures, the network maximizes their respective areas of expertise: the USA leads the way today in innovation, particularly in molecular medicine; both research centers contribute to this cutting-edge research where ultrasound, magnetic resonance and nuclear imaging are the most promising techniques.
A total of approximately 300 scientists and engineers (12 per cent of the workforce) work in Bracco R&D:
their daily contribution fuels the drive for innovation to meet user and market needs.
The training provided for Group personnel – young, highly specialized and with know-how in complementary fi elds – and the availability of state-of-the-art laboratory equipment are the foundations for competitiveness in line with the top international standards. This philosophy, shared across the entire Group, translates effectively into dynamic and constantly updated organizational models and is the cornerstone of Bracco operations. Overall, the Bracco Group invests 10% of its Diagnostic Imaging revenues in R&D.
The activities of the three centers are flanked by the clinical trials and regulatory activities coordinated at global level by the Worldwide Medical and Regulatory Affairs division based in Princeton, with offices in Europe (Milan and Konstanz), Japan and China. The Bracco research network works on an open basis with university centers and public and private clinical research bodies, innovators in a sector making continuous scientific and business progress. The Group is involved in wide-ranging Italian, European and American projects as a member of an active network of partnerships.
In Italy in particular, the decision to conduct laboratory work in research-intensive regions like Piedmont, Lombardy, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Campania means Bracco Imaging can be active in early exploratory work integrated with genome, biomedical, biotechnological and sustainable chemical research in the various areas.