Lausanne, Switzerland, September 20, 2005 — Debiopharm S.A., the independent drug-development company specialising in oncology, endocrinology, CNS and niche diseases today announced that during the General Assembly of the 64th Annual Conference of the JCA, held last week in Sapporo, Japan, Dr Fuyuki Ishikawa and Dr Tetsuya Mitsudomi were honoured with the Inaugural JCA-Mauvernay Award for their outstanding oncology research work. The conference theme was “Advances and challenges toward molecular target and tailored cancer therapies”. Organised jointly by the JCA and Debiopharm, the objective of the annual JCA-Mauvernay Award, is to recognise innovative fundamental and clinical oncology research and to encourage Japanese scientists to make their work available outside Japan. The Awards were presented by Professor Setsuo Hirohashi, president of the JCA and Dr Rolland-Yves Mauvernay, President and CEO of Debiopharm.
The work of Dr Mitsudomi, from the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, focuses on “Molecular pathogenesis of lung cancer and its clinical application”. This important work has immediate clinical implications, particularly in the selection of patients with lung cancer that will respond to a particular treatment. The work of Dr Ishikawa, from the Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Department of Gene Mechanisms, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, focuses on “Molecular Mechanisms of Chromosomal Evolution in Cancer Cells” and particularly on the role of telomers in cancer cells. Both scientists are members of the JCA.
“It is an honor for Debiopharm to pioneer such an award and to recognise the excellent work of Drs Ishikawa and Mitsudomi,” said Dr Rolland-Yves Mauvernay. “Working with the JCA has been a pleasure and we look forward to next year’s Award. Together with the JCA, Debiopharm hopes to encourage young scientists to transfer their innovative research to the clinic and to the benefit of worldwide patients rapidly.”
Debiopharm supports research worldwide. Since 1994, the Company has been co-organising the “Debio China Prize” to support and facilitate research of new therapeutic drugs to improve human health. Debiopharm also co-organises the “Mauvernay Research Excellence Award” with Tulane University in the United States. In addition, an inaugural European Award has been established.
About Debiopharm S.A.
Founded in 1979 in Lausanne, Switzerland, Debiopharm is an experienced and competent drug development company that in-licenses compounds with promising in-vivo results to develop for global registration and to out-license to sales and marketing pharmaceutical partners.
Debiopharm is part of an established group of five complementary and synergistic companies, namely Debiovision in Canada, Debioinnovation and Debio R.P. in Switzerland and Debioclinic in France. Together, they provide drug development expertise and know-how from the evaluation of early-stage and innovative research, partnering, financing, pre-clinical and clinical trials, to manufacturing and sophisticated drug-delivery systems.
Debiopharm has developed and registered three products with combined sales in excess of $1.8bn in 2004: Eloxatin®, one of sanofi-aventis’ leading marketed products; Decapeptyl®, the leading product of Ipsen; and Trelstar® (1-and 3-month), marketed by Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
For more information on Debiopharm and the Debio companies, please visit: www.debio.com.
About The Japanese Cancer Association
The Japanese Cancer Association was established in 1941 and has about 17’000 members all from universities, governmental and private research organisations throughout Japan. The membership includes basic and clinical scientists engaged in all areas of cancer research.