| Type | Sociedade Anónima |
|---|---|
| Industry | Major drugs, health care |
| Founded | April 19, 1924 |
| Headquarters | Trofa, Portugal |
| Key people | Luís Portela, CEO |
| Products | Pharmaceuticals |
| Employees | 650 (2009) |
| Website | www.bial.com |
Bial (Portela e Cª, S.A.) is a pharmaceutical company headquartered in S. Mamede do Coronado, in Trofa, Porto district, Portugal. It was founded in 1924, being among the largest companies of its kind in Portugal.
Bial is today an International Pharmaceutical Group. Its products are to be found in pharmacies in more than 40 countries in 4 continents: Europe, America, Africa and Asia. Some of the group companies are: Laboratórios Bial, Medibial, Bialfar, Bialport, Bial Aristegui, Medimport and Medangol.
In 2008, Bial completed clinical evaluation of BIA 2-093 (Eslicarbazepine acetate), a new drug for the adjunctive use in partial seizures in adults with epilepsy. It is marketed as Zebinix or Exalief in Europe and as Stedesa in America.
Established in 1994, the Bial Foundation Scientific Research Grants have become increasingly popular. Forty-eight applications were received in 1994, and by 2002 this figure had risen to 149, while 169 projects were submitted in 2004. Several projects have already been supported, involving many researchers from over 21 countries.