Merck Serono

Merck Serono is the division for innovative prescription pharmaceuticals of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a global pharmaceutical and chemical company. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, Merck Serono discovers, develops, manufactures and markets innovative small molecules and biopharmaceuticals to help patients with unmet medical needs. In the United States and Canada, EMD Serono operates through separately incorporated affiliates.

Merck Serono has leading brands serving patients with cancer (Erbitux®, cetuximab), multiple sclerosis (Rebif®, interferon beta-1a), infertility (Gonal-f®, follitropin alfa), endocrine and metabolic disorders (Saizen® and Serostim®, somatropin), (Kuvan®, sapropterin dihydrochloride) as well as cardiometabolic diseases (Glucophage®, metformin), (Concor®, bisoprolol), (Euthyrox®, levothyroxine). Not all products are available in all markets.

With an annual R&D expenditure of over € 1bn, Merck Serono is committed to growing its business in specialist-focused therapeutic areas including neurodegenerative diseases, oncology, fertility and endocrinology, as well as new areas potentially arising out of research and development in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

For more information, please visit www.merckserono.comor www.merck.de

Nycomed

Nycomed is a privately owned global pharmaceutical company with a differentiated portfolio focused on branded medicines in gastroenterology, respiratory and inflammatory diseases, pain, osteoporosis and tissue management. An extensive range of OTC products completes the portfolio. Its R&D is built to be open for partnerships as in-licensing is a cornerstone of the company’s growth strategy. Nycomed employs 12,000 associates worldwide, and its products are available in more than 100 countries. It has strong platforms in Europe and in fast-growing markets such as Russia/CIS, and Latin America. While the US and Japan are commercialised through best-in-class partners, Nycomed will further strengthen its position in key Asian markets. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the company generated in 2009 total sales of €3.2 billion and an adjusted EBITDA of €1.075 billion.

Elan Drug Technologies

Elan Drug Technologies, the world’s leading drug delivery business delivers clinically meaningful benefits to patients, by using their extensive experience and proprietary delivery technologies in partnership with pharmaceutical companies, to develop new and innovative products. From bioavailability enhancement technologies for poorly water soluble compounds, to customised oral drug technologies, they offer our clients unrivalled drug delivery expertise with a suite of commercially launched, proprietary, technology-driven solutions. With 40 years experience in the drug delivery business, they have successfully brought 36 drugs to market for clients in over 100 markets worldwide. They also have extensive product development, scale-up and manufacturing capabilities in the US and EU with over 500,000 sq ft of FDA/EMEA licensed facilities under roof and the capacity to manufacture over 2.5 billion solid oral dosages annually. Products enabled by their technologies are used by millions of patients each day. More information is available at www.elandrugtechnologies.com

Teva

Teva Pharmaceuticals Limited is one of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies and is the leader in generic pharmaceuticals. Teva also has proprietary (or innovative) pharmaceuticals on the market and has a strong pipeline of innovative projects in clinical development.

Teva Innovative Ventures is seeking to increase further this Innovative pipeline by partnering or licensing pre-clinical programs via our flexible partnership models. We are looking for therapies for CNS disorders (with emphasis on multiple sclerosis), autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases and oncology. Our key criteria are that the opportunities are at a development stage between lead molecule and first-in-man dosing, have strong IP, meet a clear unmet medical need and that they can show differentiation from current clinical care.

We source novel programs from University groups, spin-out or start-up companies, and from smaller Biotech. We aim to rapidly develop our partners’ innovative therapies through our global development organisation, and make them available for patients. Teva currently operates in over 60 countries and has around 35,000 employees worldwide.

Merck & Co. Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, is an innovative, global health care leader that is committed to improving health and well-being around the world. Merck discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets vaccines, medicines, and consumer and animal health products designed to help save and improve lives.

The recent merger of Merck and Schering-Plough greatly expands our combined company's product offerings in a range of areas, including heart and respiratory health, infectious diseases, and women’s health. We continue to focus our research on conditions that affect millions of people around the world — diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cancer — while expanding our strengths in areas like vaccines and biologics.

Merck invests heavily in research and development. Our strategy for growth is based on breakthrough research — both internal and external through partnerships — and demonstrating the value of our medicines to patients, payers and providers.

At today’s Merck, we’re applying our global reach, financial strength and scientific excellence to do more of what we’re passionate about: improving health and improving lives. 

BioAlps

BioAlps, the fastest growing life science cluster in the world

BioAlps, the Western Switzerland life science cluster, is rated the third European centre for research into biotechnology and medical technologies after Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom. It covers more than 700 biotech and medtech companies, 500 research laboratories, some 20 world-famous research institutions, universities and university hospitals, as well as numerous bodies supporting innovation including science parks, incubators of start-up companies and venture capital funds. Above all, it is a centre of excellence which attracts many famous scientists. This stems as much from its dynamic nature as from its resources in research and development and its dense industrial fabric, which offer so many opportunities.