GLENDALE, Arizona, January 28 /PRNewswire/ --

- The state-of-the-art facility, located just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, will serve as a unique learning environment for the professional development and educational advancement of Grifols' employees.

Today, Grifols SA (Grifols), a global healthcare company based in Barcelona, Spain, inducted its first class of students to the Grifols Academy of Plasmapheresis in Glendale, Arizona. The Academy is an 8,500 square foot facility adjacent to a fully operational plasma donor facility that will serve as the Company's central location for employee education, training and development. Grifols' investment in the Academy and adjacent plasma donor facility brings new jobs and economic growth to the area while offering advanced education and career development for Grifols' employees.

Employees admitted to the Academy have the opportunity to pursue learning in a broad range of disciplines. The primary purpose of the Academy is not to provide training on plasma collection procedures and donor center operations, commented Academy Chairman Eduardo Herrero. Rather, the goal is to provide our already highly skilled employees with an even broader context and deeper understanding of human health, ethics and science, as they relate to plasmapheresis, continued Herrero. Plasmapheresis is a process for obtaining human plasma that was developed by Grifols in 1951, and has given rise to the large-scale production of plasma therapies to treat hundreds of thousands of individuals with rare and often life-threatening diseases and conditions.

The Academy is chaired by an Academic Review Board responsible for establishing curriculum guidelines and educational achievement standards. The learning that will take place at the Academy will benefit the students not only in their daily work, but also in their long-term personal and career development, said Marilyn Rosa Bray, MD, one of the Academy Board members and Medical Director for Biomat USA, one of Grifols' plasma divisions. Examples of some Academy course offerings include: Principles of Quality and Ethics, Plasma Therapies Today and in the Future, Introduction to Immunology and The Anatomy and Physiology of the Cardiovascular System.

The Academy is equipped with advanced technology classrooms and an interactive learning laboratory. In addition, the Academy houses two large conference rooms and an on-site gallery that showcases the history and importance of plasmapheresis in healthcare. The curriculum is delivered using a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on lab activities, goal-based scenarios and computer e-learning modules. Academy educators include representatives from Grifols' senior management, third-party experts and guest lecturers from industry and academia.

Joining Grifols for the inauguration of the Academy will be His Excellency Jorge Dezcallar, Ambassador to the US from the Kingdom of Spain, distinguished representatives from the Spanish Medicines Agency and the Department of Health of the Catalonia Autonomous Government, representatives from local and national patient organizations that rely on plasma medicines, Arizona state and local elected officials, as well as other guests and experts in the field of plasmapheresis.

About Grifols

Grifols SA (Grifols) is a global healthcare company founded in 1940 in Barcelona, Spain. Today Grifols products and services are provided in more than 90 countries around the world. Grifols specializes in the production of plasma therapies to treat a variety of rare and often life-threatening diseases and conditions. Grifols operates 80 plasma donor centers throughout the US and has manufacturing and testing facilities located in Barcelona, Spain, Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. For more information about Grifols please visit www.grifols.com

Chris Healey of Grifols, Inc., +1-703-351-5004, fax, +1-703-276-9052, Chris.Healey@Grifols.com