SERVIER CANADA is opening its new Clinical Development Centre in Montreal, and announces a $750 000$ fund at UdeM

LAVAL, QC, Oct. 10, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Servier Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Servier, has today opened its new Clinical Development Centre in Montreal in the presence of Ms. Francine Charbonneau, Minister of Families and Minister responsible for the Laval Region, the Mayor of Laval, Mr. Marc Demers, Dr Madeleine Tremblay Servier, Founder of Servier Canada and the President of Groupe Servier, Mr. Olivier Laureau.

Mr. Olivier Laureau has been recently appointed head of Groupe Servier, and is also President of the Servier International Research Foundation (FIRS) decided to preside over this major event in the development of our North American activities.

The mission for this new centre is participation in the design and development of Servier's international clinical research. It will coordinate basic research projects as well as the implementation of phases I to III studies working closely with internationally renowned Canadian and Quebec investigators such as the Montreal Heart Institute, INRS, CRCHUM and MUHC.  The main therapeutic areas are cardiovascular diseases, oncology and neuropsychiatry.

An inauguration ceremony was held after a symposium entitled ‟Quebec, international competitiveness cluster on biomedical research and innovation" with one hundred and fifty life science representatives in attendance. 

‟We are today very proud to open the doors to our new centre for excellence in clinical development just over one year after its announcement. This $17M investment illustrates the importance of research to our growth model. We have invested a total of $100M over the past five years in Canada, explained Servier Canada CEO Mr. Frédéric Fasano.

Another clear sign of this commitment to medical research in Quebec is the creation of the 'Dr Madeleine Tremblay Servier and Groupe Servier fund for the development of medicinal products'  ($750,000) at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Université de Montréal. This fund is dedicated to the education of future talent in the pharmaceutical industry and named after Dr Madeleine Tremblay Servier, born in Quebec who graduated from UdeM's Faculty of Pharmacy, and internationally renowned for her distinguished career in the pharmaceutical industry. Founder of Servier Canada in 1978 and a pioneer in the international development of the group, Dr. Tremblay Servier now chairs the' Collège International de Recherche Servier'.

"Our new Clinical Research Center and the Tremblay Servier Research Fund that we are inaugurating today underline our commitment to this part of the world where Life Sciences have a very special place and that is becoming a key platform for innovation." said Olivier Laureau, President of Groupe Servier Group.

About Servier Canada

Servier Canada is the fourth subsidiary of Groupe Servier and employs over 325 people, including 161 in Quebec. The amount invested in research and development in 2013 is more than $ 35 million, which represent 14.5% of our revenues. Servier Canada plans to register three innovative products in the next three years and is currently developing its research activities in the fields of cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric diseases and solid and hematologic cancers.

About Groupe Servier

Founded in 1954 in Orléans (France) by Dr. Jacques Servier, Groupe Servier is an international pharmaceutical research group run by a foundation that is independent form financial markets. The Group operates in 140 countries and employs more than 21,000 people.

Its development is based on the constant quest for innovation in the therapeutic areas of cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, psychiatric and bone and joint diseases as well as cancer.

In 2013, Groupe Servier recorded sales of 4.2 billion euros.

SOURCE: Servier Canada

Press contact: Nadine Doucet, Servier Canada, [phone] ext. 4225, [email protected]; Websites: www.servier.ca and www.servier.fr