Today is International Anti-Corruption Day. We are all aware that corruption has the potential to impact the social and economic development of all companies, societies and countries. That is why we must be unified in our efforts to conduct business with the highest ethical standards.
Ipsen’s Compliance Program has been developed to prevent bribery and corruption by implementing a Third-Party Due Diligence process, by empowering people to speak up, by executing the conflict of interest declaration and by mitigating all associated risks.
Dominique Laymand, our Executive Vice President, Chief Ethics and Social Responsibility Officer, highlights that real leadership should be visible not just in words, but also in actions. Our Group’s top leaders set the tone for the rest of the company, as well as for our business partners. This helps reinforce ethical standards and establish a common vision.
“We focus on tackling bribery and corruption in our value chain. This can only be achieved together by cultivating our ethical culture. We do this for the benefit of the patients and society we serve,” says Dominique.
Today, Ipsen is hosting a virtual Capital Markets Day to launch our new Group strategy which positions us for long-term success by focusing together for patients and society. Four priorities will drive continued growth and bring transformative medicines to patients. Building on Ipsen’s strong foundation, the strategy is the result of an intense collaboration between Ipsen teams and deep analysis of our strengths and opportunities. Over the next four years, the following strategic priorities will ensure Ipsen continues to create long-term value for all stakeholders and deliver on our commitment to deliver for patients and society.
Bringing the full potential of innovative medicines to patients
We will maximize the value of our current Specialty Care product portfolio through commercial excellence and geographic expansion with our core brands, Somatuline®(lanreotide), Decapeptyl® (triptoreline)and Dysport® (botulinum toxin type A), and aim to capture the full potential of our innovative oncology products, Cabometyx® (cabozantinib) and Onivyde®(irinotecan liposome injection). We will continue to work toward the launch of palovarotene, a potential treatment for patients with FOP and a cornerstone of our presence in the Rare Diseases therapeutic area.
Building a high-value sustainable pipeline
We will build a sustainable pipeline to drive long-term growth. To support that, we have recently implemented the prioritization of the highest potential opportunities and have further transformed the R&D organization. We are strengthening our external innovation efforts by targeting differentiated medicines in our three core therapeutic areas of Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience, with a broader disease and modality scope than previously defined and across all stages of clinical development. To support our external innovation strategy, we expect to generate a cumulative €3bn of firepower for pipeline expansion by 2024.
Delivering efficiencies to enable targeted investment and growth
We will generate efficiencies through a focused and agile operating model. Leveraging smart spending, streamlined operations, manufacturing efficiencies and optimizing digitalization, the Group will be able to reinvest in R&D and external innovation to fuel future growth.
Boosting our culture of collaboration and excellence
Patients and society are at the core of Ipsen’s mission, starting with fully engaged employees and a culture of accountability to perform and compete in the long-term. We are highly committed to our corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives which are centered around employees, community and the environment, as reflected throughout the organization and in the inclusion of responsibility metrics in leadership compensation.
Positive impact for patients and society
“Our new Group strategy positions Ipsen for long-term success by focusing together for patients and society,” says David Loew, CEO. “We will reinforce our commitment to Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience by strengthening and accelerating our external innovation efforts and pipeline in clearly defined segments. Through prioritization and collaboration, we will drive efficiencies to support investment in our pipeline. Building on a strong foundation of engaged employees, agile development capabilities and global commercial footprint, I am energized to execute on our key strategic priorities to create long-term value for all stakeholders.”
For more information on the Capital Markets Day event, you can find the press release here
David Loew, Chief Executive Officer, is pleased to host a Capital Markets Day webcast to present the Group’s Strategy on:
Date: Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Time: Webcast – 2:00pm to 5:00pm CEST / 8:00am to 1:00pm EST
Webcast Link: https://ipsencapitalmarketsday2020.online-event.fr/
No live presentation will be organized at Ipsen’s headquarters.
October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month and this year we are proud to be supporting the European Liver Patients Association (ELPA) with their campaign encouraging everyone to rethink liver cancer by bringing it to the forefront of conversations.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of cancer originating in the liver in adults and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in 20181. Given that it is such a prevalent disease, there is a surprising lack of awareness. Together with ELPA during this Liver Cancer Awareness month, we want to raise the profile of this hard-working organ and help the topic of liver health to take center stage.
As part of this campaign, we are excited to launch an animated series following “The Organ Family”. These character representations of different organs of the body detail the effects of lifestyle factors on the central character, Liv the Liver. Supporting ELPA’s “Rethink Liver Cancer” message, we want to ask the question: “Is your liver working too hard?” We’ll launch new characters each week here on Ipsen.com following Liv’s story. Be sure to check back here and on ELPA and Ipsen’s social channels for the latest updates.
The liver is an essential organ in the body, playing a central role in over 500 different functions including processing the food and drink we consume, breakdown and elimination of toxic substances your body encounters and involvement in the immune response. Although the liver has a fantastic ability to regenerate, replacing damaged cells with new, healthy ones, liver disease can develop if this regeneration process is unable to keep up with demand2. Adding strain such as infection with hepatitis B or C, increased alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating or smoking can lead to liver diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, a condition characterized by build of scar tissue3. To help to prevent liver disease from escalating to HCC, it’s important to highlight risk factors and promote early detection. Earlier detection leads to better outcomes for patients. By supporting ELPA with their campaign, we’re pleased to raise awareness of this for liver cancer awareness month.
We were also very pleased to be joined by President of ELPA, Marko Korenjak and Coordinator of the ELPA Scientific Committee, Dr Teresa Casanova’s to discuss this campaign with Ipsen Chief Medical Officer Steven Hildemann and bring into focus the key takeaways. ELPA’s mission is to promote the interests of those with liver disease and in particular, to highlight the size of the problem and promote awareness and prevention. Learn more from ELPA directly on the importance of this campaign during the month of October here on Ipsen.com.
This liver cancer awareness month, ask yourself, friends, family, colleagues, ‘is your liver working too hard?’.
1 Global Trends in Incidence Rates of Primary Adult Liver Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Available at: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00171
2 https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/5-facts-about-the-liver/
3 https://www.cancer.gov/types/liver/patient/adult-liver-treatment-pdq
The facts and figures around breast cancer bring into focus the importance of raising awareness of the true scale of this globally prevalent disease. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women1. It comprises of 24% of all cancers diagnosed in women2 with one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime3, with up to 6% of women diagnosed before the age of 404. However, each of these statistics represents an individual woman living with this disease.
By actively listening to patients and working with organizations like Europa Donna, at Ipsen we know that women living with breast cancer need holistic support that goes beyond their treatment. Advice on nutrition, wellness, fertility and disease management along with interviews with healthcare professionals and stories from other patients can prove valuable resources. This is the support we are aiming to provide through platforms such as Everyday Wins, a program co-created with Europa Donna.
For this year’s breast cancer awareness month, we are amplifying Everyday Wins patient stories to the program in the hope of providing a source of inspiration and support to those who are living with breast cancer. Each of the women featured in these videos have managed their disease in a personal way, having been diagnosed at various stages of their lives between the ages of 31 and 42. They each speak to common themes of continuing to pursue their life plans and a drive to help others who may be going through a similar experience. From raising awareness in local schools, founding patient associations, creating support groups through social media or just putting a smile on someone’s face, each of these women tells the story of resilience. As a practicing lecturer, clinician and Ipsen’s Chief Medical Officer, I see how improved outcomes can be achieved when patients do not allow their lives to be defined by a disease such as breast cancer5. That’s why raising awareness and sharing inspirational stories to an audience of all ages is key.
At Ipsen, we strive to make measurable improvements to patients’ lives. We are working with nearly 200 patient organizations to listen to patients and understand their personal journeys beyond statistics. Then, we translate their voice into insights and co-create initiatives that draw on their needs for support.
Putting patients at the heart of everything we do is also a belief that resonates with me personally. Alongside my career in the biopharmaceutical sector, I have continued to see patients and teach in academic centers. Being in touch with what matters to patients and their families gives us all at Ipsen the energy and inspiration for the work we deliver in the industry every day.
Innovation to improve patient outcomes doesn’t always resemble the scenes in the movies where the brilliant scientist makes a breakthrough alone in the lab. Sometimes it takes the form of Artificial Intelligence analyzing enormous quantities of data. Sometimes it looks like teams of people working together on developing new measurements of efficacy. But it should always include one essential step: taking the time to ask the right questions of patients and to really listen to their answers.
The twelve abstracts that we will present at this year’s World Congress for Neurorehabilitation (WCNR) are an excellent demonstration of the quality of insights you can gather when you listen to patients. The work we’re presenting is drawn from extensive real-world and patient experience data collected over two years. Not only have we learned just how essential it is to find new ways to measure treatment efficacy which are relevant to patients, we’ve developed a clear understanding of the role healthcare providers can and should play in helping patients define and assess their personal goals for the treatment of chronic conditions.1
This is especially important for patients who live with debilitating chronic conditions that impact their daily quality of life, such as those affected by spasticity. We now have a clearer understanding of how using a combination of targeted standardized measures from disease-specific indexes and goal attainment scaling (GAS), which sets mutual objectives for the patient and the physician, is a more accurate and useful measure of progress than standardized measures alone. By focusing closely on each individual patient’s personal goals, GAS measurements offer pertinent and tailored data on treatment efficacy that can still be statistically quantified.2
Our Neuroscience teams have long understood the importance of taking an integrated approach to the treatment of chronic conditions. Now we have gained insight into how to better measure progress for patients—and what support they need from physicians to do so. Armed with this knowledge, we can better support physicians as they work closely with patients.
And it’s clearer than ever that we can make a tangible difference for patients when we continuously push ourselves—and our partners—to listen. For me personally, this is even more motivation to listen to patients and seek out innovative ways to incorporate their perspective at every step, so we can be sure our solutions offer real value.
By David Loew, CEO
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Bartek Bednarz, Executive Vice President Global Product & Portfolio Strategy and Patrice Zagame, Executive Vice President, Specialty Care International to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), effective immediately.
Bartosz (Bartek) Bednarz, DDS, joined Ipsen in 2017 and has 20+ years of pharmaceutical leadership experience.
Before assuming the EVP role, Bartosz successfully led Ipsen’s Oncology franchise. Prior to that, he held global leadership roles at AstraZeneca and Novartis. At AstraZeneca, he started as Country President and later led new launches in Oncology as well as Oncology Global Commercial Operations at global level. At Novartis, Bartosz worked in various marketing and sales roles at local, regional and international levels around the world, including Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Canada.
Bartosz Bednarz is a Doctor of Dental Medicine. He obtained his diploma with honors at the Medical University of Pomerania in Poland.
Patrice Zagame joined Ipsen in May 2020 in the role of Senior Vice President, Head of International for the Specialty Care organization.
Prior to joining Ipsen, Patrice was based in Brazil, where he worked as an investor, board member and entrepreneur. Patrice also previously held the roles of President & Executive VP Intercontinental at Baxalta. Before that, Patrice worked as Country President at Sanofi and Novartis in France, Brazil, Spain and Venezuela. He began his career at Rhone Poulenc Rorer as Assistant Product Manager, later moving to a District Director role. He has also been Business Franchise Manager and Head of Oncology at Glaxo Wellcome.
Patrice holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland and a doctorate in medicine from the Sorbonne University, Pierre and Marie Curie in France.
We are delighted to welcome David Loew as the new CEO of Ipsen. A seasoned professional, David’s career has spanned nearly thirty years in the pharmaceutical industry in such companies as Roche and Sanofi. His leadership skills and experience in a range of therapeutic areas, including oncology, neuroscience and consumer healthcare make him a great fit with our mission and values.
David comes to Ipsen from Sanofi Pasteur Vaccines, where he was CEO. During his tenure, he piloted a successful growth strategy via acquisitions and licensing deals. He also undertook a series of transformational initiatives: developing a global pipeline, reinforcing the production strategy to strengthen compliance and increase capacity and building key programs to bring the company to best-practice level across the board.
He started his career in the United States at Coopers & Lybrand and Hewlett Packard in 1990, before joining Roche in 1992. He moved to Sanofi in 2013 as Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Europe.
“I’m very happy to join Ipsen. It’s a great company– built on a solid foundation and with a bright future ahead of it. I’m looking forward to meeting the teams and helping them carry forward the important work they do for patients,” says David.
We are excited to see what the future holds and we wish David all the best in his new role.