Chiesi Farmaceutici began as a small family-run business in Parma, Italy in 1935, but through strategic innovation, internationalization, and planning capabilities, it has become an international pharmaceutical company known for developing and selling innovative therapeutic solutions. Chiesi medicines are now distributed in over 65 countries as a result of continual research and development conducted in their laboratories. Chiesi invests heavily in research and development, ranking highly among Italian pharmaceutical companies and European peers for R&D investment. Operating across five continents with multiple facilities, Chiesi employs over 3,800 people and received an award from France for a new production plant manufacturing inhalers developed from their research.