Lausanne, Switzerland, November 3, 2005 – Debiopharm S.A., the independent drug-development company specialising in oncology, endocrinology, CNS and niche products, today announced a collaboration with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to launch the ‘Debiopharm Life Sciences Award’ to mentor and motivate young innovative European researchers in the field of life sciences, particularly in oncology. The fifty most prestigious European universities have been invited to participate in an annual ‘International Life Sciences Symposium’ funded by Debiopharm and organised alternatively at the EPFL and the Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC). The first Symposium and Award will be held on October 11-14, 2006 at the EPFL. The winner will receive a significant ‘Debiopharm Life Sciences Award’ and will present his or her work during the Symposium.
Potential candidates for the Award should be under the age of 40. Their research must have therapeutic and industrial potential. Selection criteria include novelty and originality of the work, as well as its importance and significance in connection with targeted therapeutic fields. Professor Patrick Aebischer, President of the EPFL and Dr Rolland-Yves Mauvernay, CEO and President of Debiopharm, are among the members of the jury. The Award will be granted annually for the next five years.
Debiopharm presents three other awards worldwide: the ‘Mauvernay Research Excellence Award’ in collaboration with the Tulane Cancer Center of New Orleans in the US; the ‘Debiochina Prize’ in China; and the ‘JCA-Mauvernay Award’ organised with the Japan Cancer Association (JCA) in Japan.
“We are happy to contribute to the growth of the life sciences intellectual capital in Europe. This part of the world has great untapped potential to become an even more vibrant economic engine. We need to encourage young researchers, and our collaboration with Professor Aebischer and the prestigious EPFL is ideal as we share the same vision,” said Rolland-Yves Mauvernay.
“This prize reflects the remarkable expansion and progress taking place in life sciences research, along with the involvement of other disciplines such as basic science and engineering. It also helps to bridge the continuum between fundamental research and therapeutic applications,” added Patrick Aebischer.
About Debiopharm
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 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 EPFL
The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is one of Switzerland’s two federal institutes of technology. Nearly 10,000 students, researchers and collaborators from more than 100 nationalities work together to push back the limits of science and technology. EPFL is recognised for its quality of teaching and for the interdisciplinary research done in its 250 laboratories. The School also has unique strengths in technology transfer; an average of 10 new companies are spun off from EPFL research every year, and the School has several unique scientific partnerships that benefit students, researchers and businesses alike.