Palla Pharma helps to secure the supply of codeine for Europe

When used as directed, opioids can safely help to control severe pain after major surgery. But in recent decades, European countries have allowed the production of such medications to be transferred overseas, particularly to China and India. When global events cause a disruption in the supply chain, patients and health professionals in Europe suffer the consequences.

“European governments are looking for alternatives to overseas manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. It’s important to produce more of our critical medicines in Europe, closer to the consumer,” explains Andresen.

For 75+ years, Palla Pharma Norway has manufactured the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) codeine phosphate and finished dose formulations (FDF) at its factory in Kragerø, a small town along the Oslofjord. The facility includes a quality control and microbiological lab, as well as a warehouse for raw materials and finished goods. 

The company produces its products, both APIs and FDFs, for various brands. The main FDF tablet is Co-Codamol 30/500 (30 mg codeine/500 mg paracetamol), which is sold in the UK, where Palla Pharma is a well-known brand name. 

The company's expertise comes partly from its original family owners and long-time employees over many years. The community around Kragerø has an exceptionally high level of competence connected to the company’s factory and products. Palla Pharma Norway has 80 employees and is a flexible supplier of high-quality codeine phosphate API and FDF tablets, offering reliable on-time delivery and excellent customer service on a global basis.

Read more: Palla Pharma Norway – An innovative company

Palla Pharma is a unicorn in the 21st century world of giant pharmaceutical companies. Still 100 per cent Norwegian-owned, Palla Pharma is considered a high-quality, mid-sized pharmaceutical factory, one of the few such factories left in Scandinavia. The founding family remains involved.

This creates a unique opportunity for smaller companies to launch their new, innovative medicines.

“We are looking for potential partners,” says Andresen. “Our factory has the capacity to quadruple its tablet production. We can help companies that need access to mid-sized facilities like ours, especially in the first five to 10 years of development.”

Moreover, Palla Pharma is committed to environmentally sustainable operations. The factory runs on renewable hydropower and is introducing measures to make codeine production greener, which includes the installation of scrubbers.

The global market for pain management drugs is expected to increase from USD 84.6 billion in 2023 to USD 109.9 billion by the end of 2028.

Palla Pharma’s main markets are Germany, Italy and the UK, but the company has customers around the world in over 40 countries, from Finland to Taiwan.

Now in a growth period, the company is setting its sights on new markets in Brazil, Canada and France, to name a few. “We have begun a project to see how we can expand to other countries. We are starting to pass certifications and are waiting on EU approval of our tablets,” says Andresen.

“There’s a lot of positive energy around Palla Pharma Norway right now. We are growing financially and expanding our production line and markets,” he concludes.