Company committed to developing innovative specialty medicines in the areas of oncology, endocrinology and neurology
Mississauga, ON – October 14, 2015 – Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Canada Inc., the Canadian affiliate of Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY) today celebrated the grand opening of its new Canadian headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario. The celebration was hosted by Lyndal Walker, Country Manager, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Canada Inc., who was joined by special guests including: Hon. Dipika Damerla, Associate Minister for Health and Long-term Care on behalf of the Government of Ontario; Marc Trouyet, Consul General of France in Toronto and Marc de Garidel, Chairman and CEO of Ipsen.
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Canada Inc. will join Ontario’s growing biomedical cluster to deliver innovative specialty medicines based on Ipsen’s expertise and leadership in research and drug development in oncology, endocrinology and neurology.
“This is an exciting day for Ipsen in Canada and we are thrilled to celebrate our grand opening with such distinguished guests,” says Ms. Walker. “Ipsen’s expansion to Canada will provide tangible benefits in support of the medical community and patients, as well as economic growth and job creation. Our mission is to develop and deliver innovative therapies to treat grievous illnesses and provide health care providers and patients with the right care, at the right place, at the right time.”
The grand opening follows closely on the heels of another milestone for the company. Somatuline® Autogel® (lanreotide) Injection 120 mg (referred to as Somatuline®) was recently approved by Health Canada for the treatment of enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in patients with Grade 1 or a subset of Grade 2 unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic disease to delay tumour progression. Enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, also known as NETs, generally start in the pancreas or digestive tract and can spread to other parts of the body. Somatuline® is the first treatment of its kind approved for this patient population that has demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival by 53% versus placebo.
“We see significant opportunity in Canada and we are especially delighted to have access to Ontario’s incredibly skilled and diverse workforce in Canada’s largest life sciences cluster,” comments Mr. Marc de Garidel, Chairman and CEO of Ipsen. “Not only are we celebrating the opening of our new Canadian headquarters, but we’re also celebrating the Health Canada approval for Somatuline® Autogel® to treat Canadians living with NETs which gives health care professionals and these patients another weapon in the fight against the disease.”
“Health and well-being are amongst the sectors of excellence of French companies. It is also one of the export fields that the French authorities are promoting with determination,” says Marc Trouyet, Consul General of France in Toronto. “The creation of an IPSEN affiliate in Canada is the fruit of the encounter between a leading and innovative French company with a Canadian reality made up of excellence in the fields of clinical research and biotechnologies – this reality is strongly represented here in the Greater Toronto Area. What we witness here today is the typical partnership and exchange between France and Ontario that we are actively pursuing, with the view to being up to the Province’s dynamic economy.”
About Ipsen
Ipsen is a global specialty-driven pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France with a direct commercial presence in more than 30 countries, drugs available in 115 countries and close to 4,600 employees worldwide. Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Canada Inc., the Canadian affiliate, is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario. Ipsen’s ambition is to become a leader in specialty healthcare solutions for targeted debilitating diseases. Its development strategy is supported by 3 franchises: neurology, endocrinology and oncology. Moreover, the Group has an active policy of partnerships. Ipsen’s R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms, peptides and toxins. For more information, visit www.ipsen.com.
For further information:
Rob Kloppenburg, Vice President, North America Communications
Tel.: 908-275-6388
E-mail: robert.kloppenburg@ipsen.com
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