Europe and International
Delivering results while investing for the future
By any measure, 2021 was a successful and exciting year for the Europe and International region, marked by significant advancements across all territories.
Successful European registration and launch of house dust mite tablet
One of the major highlights of the year was the launch of Stallergenes Greer’s sublingual house dust mite allergen immunotherapy tablet in a number of European markets. House dust mite allergies are among the most prevalent allergies and affect between 65-130 million persons globally1.
In May 2021, the Group’s house dust mite tablet received a positive outcome from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Germany, which acted as reference member state on behalf of 21 European countries. At year-end 2021, national marketing authorisations had been granted in 20 European countries following the decentralised procedure. The tablet is registered in Europe under the brand names: Orylmyte®, Actair® and Aitmyte® is already available in Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. Outside Europe, the tablet is registered under the brand name Actair® in Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
The first country to launch Orylmyte® in Europe was Germany. This addition to the portfolio is a significant step forward for Stallergenes Greer which now offers a fully registered comprehensive portfolio for the benefit of all our stakeholders in the German market. The Group’s portfolio will progressively be strengthened by the availability of the house dust mite tablet in countries where marketing authorisations have been granted. The enhancement of the portfolio represents a significant growth opportunity for the whole region.
Key business growth drivers and opportunities
In markets still affected by the impact of COVID-19, the Europe and International region continued to post top line growth, and to improve its profitability, with leading positions in more than 50% of the 37 countries in which it is present. Performance was primarily driven by Stallergenes Greer’s core brands Staloral®, Oralair® and Actair® in the countries in which they are marketed.
Throughout the year, steps were taken to strengthen the region’s sales force and continue to transform its organisational structure. Stallergenes Greer now reaches a larger target audience and its brands Orylmyte®, Oralair® and Staloral® will fully benefit from this position in 2022. These changes were also made in the context of the ongoing Therapy Allergy Ordinance process in Germany which may result in the market exit of products representing a value of approximately €100 million.
In Italy, Stallergenes Greer expanded its portfolio with the relaunch of Alustal® and is well positioned to strengthen its market positions as a result of the “regularisation” process which, similarly to the German market, may lead to market exit for non-registered products. In Spain, the Group also benefitted from the relaunch of Alustal® while gaining significant market share thanks to strong performances of Oralair®, Staloral® and Stallgoid® (an in-licensed subcutaneous allergoid from Diater). In the Nordic countries, a new distributor was selected; the effects of this operation are expected to be felt in the coming year. In North Africa, Staloral® was granted reimbursement by Tunisian health authorities, and in Morocco operations were restarted following the selection of a new distributor. Middle Eastern operations remained impacted by the economic crisis in Lebanon.
Throughout the year, Stallergenes Greer continued to implement its expansion strategy. In Russia, the Group consolidated its position and invested in a clinical study for the potential expansion of Staloral® mugwort. Progress was also made towards entering China and other selected Asian markets, primarily with the Group’s house dust mite tablet. In China, recent regulatory changes and market access possibilities contribute to market attractivity and offer the potential to reach a significant number of patients with house dust mite allergies.
Investing in the growth of our people
Because our people are the driving force of our ongoing success, the Europe and International region pursued its commitment to the development of its teams and talents.
In order to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, the region introduced and implemented a portfolio of talent development tools including specific project management opportunities, temporary assignments, coaching, mentoring and apprenticeship initiatives, as well as tailored training programmes.
This toolbox of talent development initiatives, combined with detailed talent reviews carried out across all geographies, support employees both in their career development and in delivering on their business goals while enabling management to ensure succession planning and execution.
“Respiratory allergy caused by house dust mites: What do we really know?”, Moisés A Calderón, Allan Linneberg, Jörg Kleine-Tebbe, Frédéric de Blay, Dolores Hernandez Fernandez de Rojas, Johann Christian Virchow, Pascal Demoly