TORONTO, April 3, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Servier Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Servier, the second largest French pharmaceutical company, has just opened its new offices in Toronto. “Establishing a strong footprint in downtown Toronto is part of our continued commitment to invest in Canada. Key to our success is fostering further collaborations with the Ontario innovative life sciences ecosystem, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area,” stated Frederic Fasano, Chief Executive Officer of Servier Canada.
The opening coincides with the Inaugural Toronto Health Innovation Week (THIW), of which Servier Canada is a sponsor. The meetings and events this week are bringing together investors, start-ups, enterprises and policy makers from the global health innovation community to Toronto to drive innovation and work towards better outcomes for patients and improved health.
“Toronto has a century-long track record of outstanding health innovations and discoveries, and we continue to offer world-class academic institutions, premiere research facilities and diversity of talent that attracts businesses, like Servier Canada, to invest, grow and succeed here” said Ella Korets-Smith, Executive Director of TO Health!, one of the founding organizations of THIW.
Through investments and partnerships with small biotech companies, research institutions and Ontario Universities, Servier Canada is a key contributor to the life sciences and research in Ontario. The new Toronto Office reaffirms and deepens that commitment.
Despite significant advances, cardiovascular health remains an area with unmet medical needs and is a key priority for Servier. To improve disease understanding and patient management, Servier launched the largest international cardiovascular registry CLARIFY in 45 countries, including Canada. This real world evidence project, conducted by the Applied Health Research Centre, part of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, followed more than 33,000 patients worldwide, including 1200 Canadian patients for five years to improve disease management by identifying gaps between clinical evidence and actual practice. Furthermore, the Medical and Research Sciences Discovery District (MaRS) based research project “Developing Novel Therapeutic Targets for Heart Failure” is a partnership between the Servier Research Group and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute centred on discovering and developing potential novel targets for heart failure therapy. With Servier funding of $500,000 and matching funding from the Canadian Institute of Health Research, this investment will further the understanding, treatment and prevention of heart disease in Canada.
Servier is an international pharmaceutical company governed by a non-profit foundation with its headquarters in Suresnes (France). With a strong international presence in 148 countries and a turnover of 4 billion euros in 2016, Servier employs 21 000 people worldwide. Corporate growth is driven by Servier’s constant search for innovation in five areas of excellence: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, immune-inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as by its activities in high-quality generic drugs. Being completely independent, the Group reinvests 25% of turnover in research and development and uses all its profits for growth.
Servier Canada was established in 1978 in Laval, Quebec and employs over 320 people across Canada. Servier Canada is currently marketing medicines in Cardiology, Hematology and Diabetes, and will soon market oncology products indicated as treatment options in hematological malignancies. Website: www.servier.ca
SOURCE Servier Canada Inc.