Ipsen donates €2 million to the Institut Pasteur to support research on COVID-19

Paris – 01/04/2020 – The biopharmaceutical group Ipsen has answered call of the Institut Pasteur and announces today a donation of €2 million dedicated to COVID-19 research. Since January, the Institut Pasteur has devoted a portion of its research to understanding the emerging COVID-19 virus, in terms of epidemiology, biological characteristics, pathogenicity, etc. A call for donations had been issued to support its teams and to further advance the projects underway.

Scientists at the Institut Pasteur quickly mobilized themselves in response to the fight against the coronavirus as soon as the epidemic broke out. Sequencing the virus genome, isolating French strains, epidemiological surveillance, the Institut Pasteur is on the front lines, conducting fundamental research to gather more knowledge and develop diagnostic tests and even vaccines.

To address the challenges of the unprecedented health crisis caused by COVID-19, the Ipsen group, one of France’s leading pharmaceutical companies, has joined forces with the Institut Pasteur following its call for donations. Funding in the amount of €2 million will be provided in the next few days to support research.

“As an international biopharmaceutical company, Ipsen centers its business entirely around the development of treatments to save or improve the lives of patients.  Faced with this major health crisis, we have chosen to back the work of scientists at the Institut Pasteur, and we are proud to do so. There is a colossal amount of pure research to be done to enable the development of diagnostics, vaccines and treatments,” explained Aymeric Le Chatelier, CEO of Ipsen.

A dedicated coronavirus research facility

Since January, the Institut Pasteur in Paris has rallied a team of 300 employees in the fight against the coronavirus. They are also supported by teams from the Institut Pasteur International Network, a community of research institutes. These scientists are working on 21 priority scientific projects aimed at gaining extensive knowledge of the virus and its pathogenicity. The projects include the development of research tools (e.g., animal models), vaccine candidates, drug candidates, serological tests for diagnosis and epidemiological research.

“The funds raised enable us to provide all the equipment and infrastructure our teams need to move forward with their research programs as quickly as possible. We also plan to launch new areas of study over time. The entire international scientific community has mobilized to provide the necessary knowledge about this new virus and to identify the means to combat it. We thank each individual and corporation that contributes financially to help us in this effort,” concluded Stewart Cole, Director General of the Institut Pasteur.

About Ipsen
Ipsen is a global specialty-driven biopharmaceutical group focused on innovation and Specialty Care. The Group develops and commercializes innovative medicines in three key therapeutic areas – Oncology, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases. Its commitment to oncology is exemplified through its growing portfolio of key therapies for prostate cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, renal cell carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. Ipsen also has a well-established Consumer Healthcare business. With total sales over €2.5 billion in 2019, Ipsen sells more than 20 drugs in over 115 countries, with a direct commercial presence in more than 30 countries. Ipsen’s R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated technological platforms located in the heart of the leading biotechnological and life sciences hubs (Paris-Saclay, France; Oxford, UK; Cambridge, US). The Group has about 5,800 employees worldwide. Ipsen is listed in Paris (Euronext: IPN) and in the United States through a Sponsored Level I American Depositary Receipt program (ADR: IPSEY). For more information on Ipsen, visit www.ipsen.com

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• Ipsen-Institut-Pasteur-1-April-2020