Sunday, September 30, 2012

فقدان البيانات وتوقف العمليات تكبّد الشركات 16% من إيراداتها السنوية

"إي هوستينغ داتا فورت" تشارك في مؤتمر "إحمِ أعمالك" الذي نظمته شركة استشارات سوق تكنولوجيا المعلومات "آي دي سي"، بصفتها شريكاً للحدث


دبي - يوم السَّبْت 29 سبتمبر 2012 [ME NewsWire]
إن ما يقرب من 50% من الشركات التي تفقد بياناتها بسبب كارثة ما، قد تكون عرضة لتكبد خسائر تصل إلى 16% في إيراداتها السنوية. وبالإضافة إلى فقدان البيانات، فإن فترات التوقف عن العمل كذلك تتراوح ما بين 300 - 1200 ساعة في السنة، وهذا يؤكد على أهمية الاستدامة والتنافسية بين المؤسسات لبناء الثقة بين عملائها والموظفين وأصحاب المصلحة. هذه النقاط غيرها ناقشها عدد من الخبراء خلال مؤتمر "إحمِ أعمالك" الذي استضافته شركة استشارات سوق تكنولوجيا المعلومات "آي دي سي" بالتعاون مع "إي هوستينغ داتا فورت".
أقيم المؤتمر على مدى نصف يوم في مدينة جميرا بدبي، بدعم مجموعة من قادة القطاع، بما في ذلك مدينة دبي للإنترنت، منطقة دبي للتعهيد، وإي إم سي، وفيجن سولوشنوز. وشهد الحدث مشاركة نخبة من خبراء تكنولوجيا المعلومات للتباحث في أهم القضايا والتحديات التي تواجه هذا القطاع، بحضور أكثر من 130 من مديري تقنية المعلومات وصانعي القرار في قطاع تكنولوجيا المعلومات من مختلف أنحاء دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة.
وقال ياسر زين الدين، الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة إي هوستينغ داتا فورت: "أضحى التخطيط للتعافي من الكوارث واستمرارية الأعمال أمراً أساسياً لا بد منه في اقتصاد اليوم، فضلاً عنه الأهمية القصوى لدراسة المخاطر المؤسسية وفهم تأثيراتها على الكفاءة التشغيلية. بدورها، أصبحت الشركات اليوم تعتمد بشكل متزايد على الخبرات التي يوفرها مزودي الخدمات لوضع خطط ذات جدوى فعلية بعيدة المدى لحماية البيانات والشبكات، مع العلم أن مثل هذه الحلول والخبرات متوفرة بالفعل محلياً".
وبالإضافة إلى استعراض آخر التطورات بشأن خدمات استمرارية الأعمال والتعافي من الكوارث، سلّط المؤتمر الضوء على بعض من المخاوف الأساسية للشركات، مثل تزايد الاعتماد على تكنولوجيا المعلومات والاتصالات، والتوافق مع المتطلبات واللوائح التنظيمية. كما دعا الخبراء إلى الاعتراف بالحاجة إلى تحسين نظم الأعمال ومستوى استمرارية العمليات، وتعزيز حماية البيانات، ورفع مستوى التكامل في استراتيجيات إدارة المخاطر التشغيلية لتكنولوجيا المعلومات.
وقال ماجد السويدي، مدير إدارة تطوير الأعمال في مدينة دبي للإنترنت ومنطقة دبي للتعهيد: "في حين كانت دبي ولاتزال تشكل موقعاً استراتيجياً بالنسبة للشركات الراغبة في إطلاق عملياتها بمنطقة الشرق الأوسط، فإنه من الضروري للغاية توفير حلول تقنية متطورة تتيح لتلك الشركات مواكبة نظيراتها الدولية، مع القدرة على الوصول إلى كافة الأسواق الرئيسية بما يضمن نمو أعمالها في المستقبل".
وأضاف السويدي: "تحقيقاً لهذه الغاية، تلتزم مدينة دبي للإنترنت بتوفير ما يصل بنية تحتية فائقة التطور لشركاء أعمالنا الذين يدركون في الوقت نفسه أهمية وفائدة الاستثمار في حلول حماية البيانات واستمرارية الأعمال. وقد اكتسب هذا التوجه اهتماماً متزايداً في الآونة الأخيرة، على خلفية ما تشهده المنطقة من تغيرات سياسية وكوارث طبيعية".
من جانبه، قال ميغا كومار، مدير أبحاث، حلول البرمجيات المشاريع في شركة آي دي سي الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وتركيا: "يدرك مسؤولو تكنولوجيا المعلومات في الشرق الأوسط اليوم المخاطر المرتبطة بعدم توافر المعلومات. وبحسب دراسة حديثة أجرتها آي دي سي وشملت عدداً من مسؤولي تكنولوجيا المعلومات، فإن 72% من مسؤولي تكنولوجيا المعلومات في الشرق الأوسط يستثمرون في حلول استمرارية الأعمال والتعافي من الكوارث في عام 2012. وهذا أمر مهم نظراً لما تشهده بيئة الأعمال من نمو مستمر وتعقيدات متزايدة، فضلاً عن أن العملاء يطالبون بضمان توفر الخدمات على مدار الساعة لعملائهم والموردين والجهات التنظيمية، وكذلك كفاءة إدارة البيانات والحماية والمرونة لإجراء تغييرات اللازمة لعمليات التشغيل. وقد أصبح من الضروري للغاية أن تنظر أقسام تكنولوجيا المعلومات في مكاملة السياسات المؤسسية والتدابير التنظيمية والحلول التكنولوجية".
وقال رودي عيد، مدير المبيعات الإقليمي بمنطقة الاخليج لنظم النسخ الاحتياطي واستعادة البيانات في شركة إي إم سي: "تعتبر المعلومات أهم الأصول بالنسبة لأي شركة أو مؤسسة، ولذلك، من الضروري ضمان تخزين هذه المعلومات وحمايتها. ومع ذلك، فإنه لا يوجد حل واحد يناسب جميع الشركات من أجل حماية معلوماتها وبياناتها. كما أن الانتقال من الأسلوب التقليدي في تخزين وحماية البيانات إلى أسلوب ’السحابة‘، يرافقه تغير في الحلول والأدوار المنوطة بمزودي الخدمات. ومن خلال اعتماد استراتيجية ’الانتقال إلى السحابة‘ سيدرك عملاؤنا الفوائد الكبرى التي يمكن أن يجنوها وخاصة في مجال حماية البيانات والتعافي من الكوارث واستمرارية الأعمال".
وركزت العروض التوضيحية التي تخللها الحدث وأدارها عدد من الخبراء على تحديد العمليات الحرجة بالنسبة للأعمال، وتصميم برنامج استمرارية الأعمال الملائم لاحتياجات كل شركة، ونشر منهجيات وطرائق منضبطة ومختبرة للتعامل مع مختلف جوانب عمل الشركات. وأوصى المشاركون أيضاً بحماية البيانات والمعلومات من خلال تركيب مواقع ثانوية للتعافي من الكوارث، مع حلول ذات كفاءة عالية للنسخ المتماثل.
وعلّق فوتر فانكوبينول، مدير المبيعات لمنطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا، فجين سولوشنز، قائلاً: "أصبح العملاء في المنطقة يدركون أكثر من أي وقت مضى أهمية حلول التعافي من الكوارث. كما أن الشركات، وبغض النظر عن حجمها، بدأت تدرك التأثيرات السلبية لتوقف العمليات على اختلاف أسبابه. ومن أجل تجنب فقدان البيانات، بات مسؤولو تكنولوجيا المعلومات يحرصون على الاستثمار في تركيب حلول شاملة للتعافي من الكوارث، بما في ذلك حلول النسخ المتماثل القائمة على خوادم الاستضافة".
يذكر أن "إي هوستينج داتا فورت"، ومن خلال مراكز بيانات عالمية المستوى، وبنية تحتية مرنة وقابلة للتوسيع، وعمليات مدارة على مدار الساعة، نجحت في بناء مكانة رائدة في السوق في مجال استضافة وإدارة خدمات تكنولوجيا المعلومات. وحصلت الشركة على إشادة لاستخداماتها المبتكرة للتكنولوجيا الحديثة في عام 2010، بالإضافة إلى جائزة "أفضل مركز بيانات مشترك" في عامي 2010 و2011. كما حازت "إي هوستينج داتا فورت" على جائزة "أفضل مزود لخدمة المشاريع" على مستوى المنطقة لأعوام 2008 و2009 و2010، 2011.
- انتهى -
حول إي هوستينج داتا فورت:
إي هوستينج داتا فورت هي شركة تابعة بالكامل لتيكوم للاستثمارات، العضو في دبي القابضة. وتعد الشركة مزوداً رائداً لخدمات تعهيد واستشارات تكنولوجيا المعلومات. وقد دخلت الشركة مشاريع كبرى لتوفير خدمات تعهيد عالمية المستوى عبر دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، والشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، والولايات المتحدة، وأوروبا. وتضم قائمة المشاريع التي تتولى الشركة إدارة بنيتها الأساسية لتكنولوجيا المعلومات بعضاً من كبرى المؤسسات العالمية مثل سوق دبي المالي، أورسيلور ميتال (أكبر مصنع للفولاذ في العالم)، وطيران الإمارات، وتجاري، وأكسيوم تيليكوم، والجزيرة، وبلدية دبي، وصحيفة خليج تايمز، وباناسونيك، وحكومة دبي الإلكترونية، وشركة دو.
الموقع الإلكتروني: www.ehdf.com، البريد الإكتروني: info@ehdf.com، هاتف: 0097143913040، فاكس: 0097143913050.

Contacts


نانسي سودهير
جيوين للعلاقات العامة
بريد إلكتروني: nancy.sudheer@jiwin.ae
هاتف: 0097143692834
متحرك: 00971559548681
00971507055290





Permalink: http://www.me-newswire.net/ar/news/6118/ar

 

Data Loss and Downtime Result in 16 Per Cent Loss to Annual Revenues for Businesses

eHosting DataFort Headlines IDC’s ‘Safeguard Your Business’ Conference as Event Partners

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Saturday, September 29th 2012 [ME NewsWire]


Nearly 50 per cent of businesses that lose data during a disaster are likely toincur up to 16 per cent loss in their annual revenues. In addition to data loss, the downtime varies between 300 - 1,200 hours per year. The trend validates the relevance of business sustainability and competitiveness for organisations to build trust among their customers, employees and stakeholders. This was pointed out by experts at ‘Safeguard Your Business’ conference hosted by international IT market  advisory firm International Data Corporation (IDC) in conjunction with eHosting DataFort.


Thehalf-day conference was held at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Supported by industry leaders such as Dubai Internet City, Dubai Outsource Zone, EMC and Vision Solutions (Double-Take), the event saw IT experts examiningcore issues facing the industry. The event was attended by more than 130 CIOs and IT decision makers from across the UAE.

Yasser Zeineldin, CEO at eHosting DataFort, said: “Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning is a must in today’s economy. Examining organisational risks and understanding their impact on operational efficiency have never been more important. Companies, on their part, are increasingly relying on the expertise of service providers for designing a long term feasibility plan for data and network protection given the fact that optimal solutions and expertise are locally available.”

In addition toshowcasing latest developments in business continuity and disaster recovery services, ‘Safeguard Your Business’ conference highlighted critical concerns such as increased reliance on ICT and compliance to regulatory requirements. Experts also called for recognising the need to improve systems and business process availability, enhance data protection, and drive the integration of IT operational risk management strategies.

Majed Al Suwaidi, Director of Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone, said: “Dubai has been a strategic location for companies setting up base in the Middle East. The availability of high-end technology solutions for businesses to keep up with their international counterparts and the ability to reach out to all key markets for securing future business growth are key factors.

“Towards this end, Dubai Internet City is committed to providing up-to-date infrastructure to our business partners who are equally conscious about investing in data protection and business continuity solutions. The practice has gained increased relevance in recent times due to the changing political scenario and incidence of natural disasters in the region.”

Megha Kumar, Research Manager, Software and Enterprise Solutions, IDC Middle East, Africa and Turkey, said: “Today, Middle East CIOs are aware of the risks linked to information unavailability. According to a recent IDC CIO survey, 72 per cent of the ME CIOs are investing in business continuity and disaster recovery solutions in 2012. This is important as the business environment is growing more and more complex with consumers demanding 24/7 availability to customers, suppliers, and regulators, as well as efficient data management, protection and flexibility to make necessary changes to operational processes. It is indeed becoming imperative that IT departments consider the streamlining of corporate policies, organisational measures, and technological solutions.”

Roudy Eid, Gulf Regional Sales Manager, BRS division, EMC, said: “Information is the most critical asset for any organisation. Therefore, storing and protecting this information is vital. However, there is no one size fits all solution for safeguarding information. In moving from traditional IT to the ‘Cloud Strategy’, the solutions and role of service providers will also change. By adopting ‘Hybrid Cloud Transformation’, our customers will realise major benefits particularly in data protection, disaster recovery and business continuity.”

Expert-led presentations at the event focused on identifying business critical processes, designing the right continuity programme for specific customer needs, and deploying disciplined and tested methodologies to address different aspects of businesses. Protecting data and information through the implementation of secondary disaster recovery sites and high-availability replication solutions was also recommended.

Wouter Vancoppenolle, Sales Director, Middle East and Africa, Vision Solutions (Double-Take), said: “Customer maturity with regard to disaster recovery is increasing in the region. Businesses, irrespective of their size, are beginning to understand the impact of any kind of downturn. In order to avoid data loss, CIOs are investing in holistic disaster recovery solutions including host-based replication solutions.”

With world-class data centres, resilient and scalable infrastructure and round-the-clock managed operations, eHosting DataFort has established itself as a market leader in the field of hosting and managed IT services. eHosting DataFort has been recognized for its innovative use of new technology in 2009, Best Colocation Facility in 2010 & 2011 and was also awarded the region’s ‘Best Managed Service Provider of the Year’ in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

For more information, please visit www.ehdf.com

-ends-

About eHosting DataFort

eHosting DataFort, a fully owned subsidiary of TECOM Investments and is a leading provider of Managed IT services. The organization has obtained a number of notable projects to deliver world-class Managed IT Services to major enterprises across the region including some of the largest organizations e.g. Dubai Financial Market, Tejari,  Axiom Telecom,  Dubai Municipality, Khaleej Times, Panasonic, Dubai e-government and du.

Website: www.ehdf.com; Email: info@ehdf.com; Phone: +971 4 391 3040; Fax: +971 4 391 3050

Contacts


Nancy Sudheer
APCO Worldwide
(JiWin Public Relations)
Tel: + 971 4 369 2834
Mob: + 971 50 7055290 /+ 971 55 9548681

Librassay® de MPEG LA, supprime les barrières des brevets pour les diagnostics en médecine personnalisée

DENVER - Dimanche 30 Septembre 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)--MPEG LA a annoncé aujourd'hui que Librassay®, une collaboration historique avec les NIH et avec d'autres innovateurs de premier rang en matière de soins de santé (listés plus bas), fournit désormais un accès mondial unique aux découvertes de diagnostics pour la médecine personnalisée.

« Les incertitudes autour de l'accès aux technologies brevetées ont mis en péril les avancées en matière de soins de santé », a déclaré Larry Horn, président-directeur général de MPEG LA. « De la même façon que le début des communautés de brevets par MPEG LA a fourni une solution axée sur le marché pour accéder aux technologies de l'électronique grand public, de la vidéo et de l'information, désormais Librassay® de MPEG LA présente une solution similaire au marché des soins de santé, avec un potentiel d'économie profonde de coûts et d'avantages en qualité de vie. Nous saluons la prévoyance et les efforts d'avant-garde des grands établissements de recherche du monde, qui démontrent un engagement envers leur compréhension du fait de la mise à disposition à grande échelle de la technologie médicale de niveau international, est tout aussi important que son invention ».

« La politique des NIH est de disséminer ses technologies le plus largement possible afin de promouvoir la commercialisation et d'améliorer la santé publique », a affirmé Mark Rohrbaugh, directeur du bureau de transfert technologique des NIH. « Cet accord met en avant notre politique en permettant à MPEG LA et à Librassay® de regrouper des technologies brevetées auxquelles ont contribué les NIH avec des technologies complémentaires provenant d'autres sources et d'octroyer des licences commerciales non exclusives provenant de la communauté pour les diagnostics in vitro et la médecine personnalisée ».

« Avant Librassay®, l'obtention de licences pour les inventions de diagnostics médicaux était un calvaire », a ajouté Kristin Neuman, directeur général de Librassay®. « Librassay® offre désormais un endroit où les développeurs de diagnostics et les prestataires de services peuvent obtenir un accès garanti et abordable aux droits des brevets, et où les détenteurs de brevets ont l'occasion de voir leurs technologies être plus largement adoptées en combinaison avec d'autres, une compensation raisonnable à leurs investissements en recherche et une motivation pour investir davantage ».

Parmi les contributeurs initiaux à Librassay® , citons

    L'université Johns Hopkins
    L'institut Ludwig pour la recherche sur le cancer
    Le centre anticancéreux à la mémoire de Sloan-Kettering
    Les National Institutes of Health
    Partners Healthcare
    Le Conseil d'administration de l'université Leland Stanford Junior
    Les administrateurs de l'Université de Pennsylvanie
    L'université de Californie, San Francisco

Débutant avec quelque 400 brevets, Librassay® permet à quiconque, grâce à une licence unique, d'accéder aux droits des brevets de diagnostics médicaux internationaux des plus grands établissements de recherche du monde. Librassay® devrait s'avérer particulièrement avantageux pour ce qui concerne les tests de diagnostic multiplexés pour les maladies et autres problèmes de santé, notamment le séquençage complet du génome, pour lequel les droits de brevet appartenant à de nombreux propriétaires différents pourraient être nécessaires.

MPEG LA invite d'autres détenteurs de brevet à rejoindre Librassay®. Pour toute information, veuillez vous adresser à LicensorInfo-Librassay@mpegla.com.

Pour accéder à la boutique Librassay® en ligne ou pour demander une copie de la licence du portefeuille de brevets Librassay®, veuillez vous rendre sur le site www.librassay.com.

MPEG LA, LLC

MPEG LA est le premier fournisseur indépendant mondial de licences de brevet offrant un large accès aux technologies importantes. MPEG LA a développé les communautés de brevet d'aujourd'hui. En aidant les utilisateurs à mettre en œuvre leurs choix en matière de technologies, MPEG LA offre des solutions d’octroi de licences favorisant une adoption à grande échelle et stimulant l’innovation. La licence d'origine de MPEG LA pour la compression vidéo numérique, a aidé à produire la norme la plus largement utilisée dans l'histoire de l'électronique grand public. Elle est devenue le modèle pour répondre au problème des enchevêtrements de brevets. Aujourd’hui, MPEG LA gère des programmes d’octroi de licence couvrant 6000 brevets dans 74 pays avec 159 concédants et quelque 5000 détenteurs de licence. Pour obtenir de plus amples informations, veuillez consulterhttp://www.mpegla.com.

Université Johns Hopkins

L'université Johns Hopkins (JHU), fondée à Baltimore en 1876 par le philanthrope Johns Hopkins, a été la première université de recherche d'Amérique et est aujourd'hui un centre d'avant-garde en enseignement supérieur et en recherche. La Fondation nationale pour la science a classé la JHU au premier rang des établissements d'enseignement des États-Unis pour ses dépenses totales de recherche et de développement en sciences, en médecine et en ingénierie pendant 32 années consécutives. À ce jour, 36 lauréats du Prix Nobel ont été affiliés à la JHU et la recherche au sein de l'université est parmi la plus citée au monde.

Institut Ludwig pour la recherche sur le cancer

L'Institut Ludwig est une organisation internationale à but non lucratif qui se consacre à améliorer la compréhension et le traitement du cancer à travers un laboratoire intégré et la découverte clinique. Profitant de son réseau mondial de chercheurs et de sa capacité à parrainer et à mener ses propres essais cliniques, l'Institut est activement engagé dans la transformation de ses découvertes en applications pour le bien du patient. Depuis sa constitution en 1971, l'Institut a dépensé plus de 1,5 milliard de dollars en recherche sur le cancer.

Centre anticancéreux à la mémoire de Sloan-Kettering

Le Centre anticancéreux à la mémoire de Sloan-Kettering est le plus ancien et le plus grand établissement privé au monde consacré à la prévention, aux soins des patients, à la recherche et à l'enseignement sur le cancer. Nos chercheurs et nos cliniciens génèrent des approches innovantes afin de mieux comprendre, diagnostiquer et traiter le cancer. Nos spécialistes sont les chefs de file en recherche biomédicale et dans la transformation de la recherche la plus récente afin de faire progresser la norme en soins anticancéreux dans le monde entier. Pour plus d'informations, rendez-vous sur le site www.mskcc.org.

National Institutes of Health

Les National Institutes of Health (NIH), l'agence nationale de recherche médicale, comprend 27 instituts et centres et fait partie du ministère américain de la santé et des services sociaux. Les NIH sont la principale agence fédérale à mener et à prendre en charge la recherche médicale fondamentale, clinique et translationnelle, et à rechercher les causes, des traitements et des cures à la fois pour les maladies courantes et rares. Pour plus d'informations sur les NIH et ses programmes, visitez le site www.nih.gov.

Partners HealthCare

Partners HealthCare est un système de soins de santé intégré, fondé par le Brigham and Women’s Hospital et par le Massachusetts General Hospital, qui offre aux patients un continuum de soins coordonnés de qualité supérieure. Outre ses deux centres médicaux universitaires, le système Partners comprend des hôpitaux communautaires et de spécialités, un réseau de médecins, des centres de santé communautaires, des services de santé et de soins de longue durée à domicile et d'autres organismes de soins de santé. Partners HealthCare se consacre aux soins des patients, à la recherche, à l'enseignement et au service de la communauté. Partners est l'une des organisations de pointe du pays en recherche biomédicale et un affilié d'enseignement principal de l'école de médecine d'Harvard. Partners HealthCare est une organisation à but non lucratif.

Université de Pennsylvanie

L'Université de Pennsylvanie à Philadelphie, est l'une des principales universités de recherche et d'enseignement d'Amérique. En tant que membre de la Ivy League, Penn bénéficie d'une longue tradition d'excellence universitaire avec 12 écoles offrant des diplômes de premier cycle, de spécialisation et professionnels à plus de 21 000 étudiants. Avec 165 centres et instituts de recherche, la recherche constitue une entreprise substantielle et reconnue à Penn, appuyée par un budget de recherche annuel proche du milliard de dollars. L'école de médecine Perelman est en particulier et régulièrement classée parmi les premières institutions listées dans le sondage du U.S. News & World Report des écoles de médecine axées sur la recherche. Cette école figure régulièrement parmi les premiers bénéficiaires du pays du financement en provenance des National Institutes of Health, avec environ 500 millions de dollars attribués au cours du dernier exercice fiscale. Pour plus d'informations, visitez le site www.upenn.edu.

Université de Californie, San Francisco (UCSF)

UCSF est une université leader qui se consacre à la promotion de la santé dans le monde entier à travers une recherche biomédicale sophistiquée, un enseignement au niveau spécialisation en sciences de la vie et dans les professions de santé et l'excellence dans les soins aux patients. En tant que berceau de la biotechnologie et le plus gros bénéficiaire public de financement de la part des National Institutes of Health, UCSF se consacre à traduire l'investissement de la nation dans la recherche biomédicale, en bénéfice public direct. Au cœur de cet effort, se trouvent plus de 1700 inventions actives et 450 licences de propriété intellectuelle sous gestion par le bureau de l'Innovation, la technologie et les alliances de l'UCSF. Plus de 97 produits sont actuellement vendus à partir de la technologie UCSF, 13 produits supplémentaires étant actuellement en cours de développement clinique. Pour plus d'informations, visitez le site www.ucsf.edu.

Photos/Galerie multimédia disponibles: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50422897&lang=fr

Le texte du communiqué issu d’une traduction ne doit d’aucune manière être considéré comme officiel. La seule version du communiqué qui fasse foi est celle du communiqué dans sa langue d’origine. La traduction devra toujours être confrontée au texte source, qui fera jurisprudence.

Contacts

MPEG LA, LLC

Tom O’Reilly, 303-200-1710

Télécopieur :  301-986-8575

toreilly@mpegla.com

Saturday, September 29, 2012

MPEG LA’s Librassay® Removes Patent Barriers to Diagnostics for Personalized Medicine


Collaboration with NIH and Other Leading Healthcare Innovators Provides One-Stop Access


DENVER - Friday, September 28th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MPEG LA announced today that Librassay®, a landmark collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other leading healthcare innovators (listed below), is now providing one-stop worldwide access to diagnostic discoveries for personalized medicine.

“Uncertainties surrounding access to patented technologies have imperiled healthcare advances,” said Larry Horn, MPEG LA President and CEO. “Just as MPEG LA’s origination of patent pools provided a market-based solution for accessing consumer electronics, video and information technologies, now MPEG LA’s Librassay® introduces a similar solution to the healthcare market with the potential for profound cost savings and quality of life benefits. We applaud the pioneering foresight and efforts of the world’s leading research institutions demonstrating a commitment to their understanding that making world class medical technology widely available is as important as inventing it.”

“The NIH’s policy is to disseminate its technologies as broadly as possible to promote commercialization and improve public health,” stated Mark Rohrbaugh, Director of the NIH Office of Technology Transfer. “This agreement promotes our policy by permitting MPEG LA and Librassay® to pool patented technologies contributed by NIH with complementary technologies from other sources, and to grant non-exclusive, commercial licenses from the pool for in vitro diagnostics and personalized medicine.”

“Before Librassay®, obtaining licenses to medical diagnostic inventions was an ordeal,” added Kristin Neuman, Librassay® Executive Director. “Now Librassay® offers one place where diagnostic developers and service providers can obtain assured and affordable access to patent rights, and patent holders have the opportunity for wider adoption of their technologies in combination with others, reasonable compensation for their research investments and the incentive to invest more.”

Initial contributors to Librassay® include

    Johns Hopkins University
    Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
    Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
    National Institutes of Health
    Partners HealthCare
    The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania
    University of California, San Francisco

Starting with some 400 patents, Librassay® makes worldwide medical diagnostic patent rights from the world’s leading research institutions available to everyone through a one-stop license. Librassay® is expected to be of particular benefit in connection with emerging multiplexed diagnostic tests for disease and other health conditions, including whole genome sequencing, for which patent rights belonging to many different parties may be needed.

MPEG LA welcomes other patent holders to join Librassay®. For information, please go to LicensorInfo-Librassay@mpegla.com.

To access the on-line Librassay® store, or request a copy of the Librassay® Patent Portfolio License, please go to www.librassay.com.

MPEG LA, LLC

MPEG LA is the world’s leading independent provider of patent licenses offering wide access to important technologies. MPEG LA developed modern day patent pools. By assisting users with implementation of their technology choices, MPEG LA offers licensing solutions that create opportunities for wide adoption and fuel innovation. MPEG LA’s original license for digital video compression helped produce the most widely employed standard in consumer electronics history. It has become the template for addressing patent thickets. Today MPEG LA manages licensing programs consisting of 6000 patents in 74 countries with 159 licensors and some 5000 licensees. For more information, please refer to http://www.mpegla.com.

Johns Hopkins University

The Johns Hopkins University (JHU), founded in Baltimore in 1876 by philanthropist Johns Hopkins, was America’s first research university and today is a leading center for higher education and research. The National Science Foundation has ranked JHU number one among U.S. academic institutions in total science, medical and engineering research and development spending for 32 consecutive years. To date, 36 Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with JHU, and the university's research is among the most cited in the world.

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

The Ludwig Institute is an international non-profit organization committed to improving the understanding and control of cancer through integrated laboratory and clinical discovery. Leveraging its worldwide network of investigators and the ability to sponsor and conduct its own clinical trials, the Institute is actively engaged in translating its discoveries into applications for patient benefit. Since its establishment in 1971, the Institute has expended more than $1.5 billion on cancer research.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is the world’s oldest and largest private institution devoted to prevention, patient care, research, and education in cancer. Our scientists and clinicians generate innovative approaches to better understand, diagnose, and treat cancer. Our specialists are leaders in biomedical research and in translating the latest research to advance the standard of cancer care worldwide. For more information, go to www.mskcc.org.

National Institutes of Health

National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

Partners HealthCare

Partners HealthCare is an integrated health care system, founded by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital that offers patients a continuum of coordinated and high-quality care. In addition to its two academic medical centers, the Partners system includes community and specialty hospitals, a physician network, community health centers, home health and long-term care services, and other health care entities. Partners HealthCare is committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. Partners is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations and is a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Partners HealthCare is a non-profit organization.

The University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, is one of America’s premier research and teaching universities. As a member of the Ivy League, Penn has a proud history of academic excellence with 12 schools that offer undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees to more than 21,000 students. With 165 research centers and institutes, research is a substantial and esteemed enterprise at Penn supported by a research budget approaching $1B annually. In particular, the Perelman School of Medicine is consistently ranked among the top institutions listed in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with ~$500 million awarded in the last fiscal year. For more information, visit www.upenn.edu.

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. As the birthplace of biotechnology and the largest public recipient of funding from the National Institutes of Health, UCSF is dedicated to translating the nation’s investment in biomedical research into direct public benefit. Central to that effort are the more than 1,700 active inventions and 450 intellectual property licenses under management by the UCSF office of Innovation, Technology and Alliances. More than 97 products are currently being sold based on UCSF technology, with 13 more in clinical development. For more information, visit www.ucsf.edu.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50422897&lang=en

Contacts

MPEG LA, LLC

Tom O’Reilly, 303-200-1710

Fax: 301-986-8575

toreilly@mpegla.com

Yum! Brands, KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell lancent la campagne annuelle de lutte contre la faim dans le monde (World Hunger Relief) avec comme ambassadrice internationale Christina Aguilera qui lui prête sa voix pour une bonne cause...

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - Samedi 29 Septembre 2012 [ME NewsWire]

Près d’un milliard de personnes ont faim dans le monde et Aguilera incite le public à les aider ;  consultez le site FromHungertoHope.com

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Yum! Brands, KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell lancent la campagne annuelle de lutte contre la faim dans le monde (World Hunger Relief) avec comme ambassadrice internationale Christina Aguilera qui lui prête sa voix pour une bonne cause dans un nouveau communiqué de service public

Yum! Brands (NYSE : YUM), la plus importante société internationale de restauration et maison mère de KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell, a annoncé aujourd’hui le lancement de sa campagne annuelle de lutte contre la faim dans le monde qui, dans un nouveau communiqué de service public, met en vedette la lauréate de plusieurs prix Grammy et superstar internationale Christina Aguilera. Selon les Nations Unies, près d’un milliard de personnes dans le monde souffrent aujourd’hui de la faim.

« World Hunger Relief » de Yum! Brands est la plus importante campagne mondiale de lutte contre la faim du secteur privé. Présente dans 120 pays, elle mobilise près de 38 000 restaurants KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell et plus d’un million de salariés et d’associés de franchise. La campagne veut sensibiliser le public et soutenir le bénévolat et les collectes de fonds pour le PAM des Nations Unies et d’autres organisations de lutte contre la faim.

Le nouveau communiqué de service public (PSA) sera diffusé en octobre et montre le conflit émotionnel d’une mère qui n’a pas les moyens de nourrir ses enfants et donc de subvenir à leurs besoins les plus élémentaires. Christina Aguilera incite les spectateurs à donner une voix aux millions d’enfants qui vont dormir la faim au ventre, et à « se joindre au chœur de FromHungertoHope.com et à utiliser leurs voix pour une bonne cause. » Son tube plein d’émotion, « The Voice Within », se propage d’une manière feutrée dans les versions de 15 secondes, 30 secondes et versions prolongées du communiqué du service public.

Christina Aguilera apparaîtra aussi à l’affiche des posters de la campagne de lutte contre la faim dans le monde (World Hunger Relief) chez KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell avec le slogan : « Together we can use our voices for good to save lives and move from hunger to hope » (Ensemble, nous pouvons utiliser nos voix pour faire le bien, sauver des vies et passer de la faim à l’espoir), dans des programmes publicitaires et en ligne, y compris le site Web de la campagne : FromHungertoHope.com.

Christina Aguilera est l’ambassadrice internationale pour la campagne de lutte contre la faim de Yum! Brands depuis 2009, année à laquelle sa participation a permis de collecter des millions pour le PAM et d’autres agences de lutte contre la faim. Elle est également « ambassadrice contre la faim » du PAM et a participé à des opérations de secours organisées par cette agence en Haïti et au Guatemala. Elle vient de recevoir un prix décerné pour réalisations exceptionnelles récompensant sa carrière incroyable et son engagement philanthropique, y compris ses efforts dans la campagne de lutte contre la faim dans le monde, à l’occasion de la remise des prix de 2012 National Council of La Raza ALMA Awards.

« Le concept de mon nouveau PSA pour la campagne de lutte contre la faim dans le monde de Yum! Brands me remplit vraiment d’émotions, pas seulement parce que je suis une mère, mais parce qu’il parle à tous ceux qui ont eu, un jour ou l’autre, du mal à nourrir leurs enfants », a déclaré Christina Aguilera. « Il s’agit d’un problème dévastateur, mais solvable, c’est pour cette raison que j’engage ma voix de manière si fervente pour sensibiliser le public. »

« Il est impensable que près d’1 milliard de personnes soient affamées dans le monde aujourd’hui. », a déclaré David Novak, président et chef de la direction de Yum! Brands, Inc. « Nous sommes vraiment reconnaissants de l’engagement de Christina pour nous aider à sensibiliser le public au sujet du problème critique de la faim dans le monde. En tant que leader de la restauration dans le monde, nous avons le privilège et la responsabilité de mener la lutte contre la faim et sauver des vies. »

La faim et la malnutrition sont les risques de santé numéro un dans le monde - une menace plus grande que le SIDA, le paludisme et la tuberculose réunis. Les principales causes de la faim sont les catastrophes naturelles, les conflits, la pauvreté, la faiblesse des infrastructures agricoles et la surexploitation de l’environnement.

« Nous sommes heureux d’avoir établi un partenariat avec Yum! Brands, qui aide à accroître de manière considérable la sensibilisation et les fonds », a déclaré Ertharin Cousin, directeur général du PAM. « Sa campagne de lutte contre la faim dans le monde fournit des repas supplémentaires aux démunis et affamés dans le monde. Ceci prouve que lorsque nous intervenons tous ensemble, même le plus petit don peut aider à lutter contre le plus important problème mondial solvable : la faim. »

Les consommateurs peuvent visiter FromHungertoHope.com ou faire un don aux restaurants KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell dans le monde (pas d’achat requis, référez-vous au calendrier ci-dessous pour les dates de campagnes américaines). Chaque dollar récolté sera directement versé aux opérations du PAM contre la faim dans le monde. Un dollar fournit quatre repas pour les enfants affamés à l’école.

Yum! prévoit de générer l’équivalent de près de 50 millions USD pour sensibiliser l’opinion au problème de la faim par le biais d’un communiqué de service public, de publicités, de relations publiques, de communications Web et d’affiches dans les restaurants. Les employés et les franchisés de la société vont faire du bénévolat à l’échelle mondiale dans des agences de lutte contre la faim, des banques alimentaires, des soupes populaires et en lançant des campagnes de collecte de fonds.

Depuis le lancement de World Hunger Relief de Yum! Brands en 2007, plus d’un million d’employés et franchisés de la société et leurs familles ont fait des contributions de millions d’heures de bénévolat au bénéfice des efforts de lutte contre la faim dans les communautés du monde entier. Cet effort a collecté près de 115 millions USD pour le PAM et d’autres organisations de lutte contre la faim et a permis de fournir près de 460 millions de repas et de sauver les vies de millions de personnes dans les régions éloignées du monde.

Yum! s’attèle également à lutter contre la faim aux États-Unis par le biais de son programme Harvest (Récolte). Depuis son lancement il y a plus de vingt ans, Harvest est devenu le programme le plus important de don de repas préparés dans le monde. Grâce à Harvest, Yum! a fait don de plus de 148 millions de livres de nourriture, soit une valeur de 650 millions USD, au profit des personnes en insécurité alimentaire aux États-Unis. La société a également été le principal commanditaire de la banque alimentaire « Dare to Care » à Louisville pendant dix ans et a fait don de 10 millions USD à cette agence locale.

Calendrier de la campagne : World Hunger Relief lance sa campagne d’automne aux États-Unis avec Pizza Hut le 23 septembre, Taco Bell le 4 octobre et KFC le 15 octobre.

Yum! Brands, Inc., basée à Louisville dans le Kentucky, est le leader mondial de la restauration en termes de franchises de restaurants avec environ 38 000 restaurants dans plus de 120 pays et territoires. Yum! est classée n° 213 sur la liste Fortune 500, avec un chiffre d’affaires de plus de 12 milliards USD en 2011. Les marques de restaurant de la société, KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell, sont les leaders mondiaux des catégories poulet, pizza et cuisine mexicaine. En dehors des États-Unis, le groupe Yum! Brands a ouvert environ quatre nouveaux restaurants chaque jour de l’année, ce qui en fait un leader dans le développement de détail à l’international.

Le PAM est la plus grande agence humanitaire internationale de lutte contre la faim. Chaque année, le PAM nourrit en moyenne plus de 90 millions de personnes dans plus de 70 pays. Pour plus d’informations, consultez le site www.wfp.org.

Photos/Galerie multimédia disponibles: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50422211&lang=fr

Photo légende:

Image 1:Chirstina Aguilera utilise sa voix pour une bonne cause pour combattre la faim dans une association d’utilité publique pour la lutte contre la faim dans le monde lancé par Yum ! Brands dans les restaurants KFC, Pizza Hut et Taco Bell dans le monde entier pour le compte du Programme alimentaire mondial des Nations unies et d’autres programmes.Près d’un milliard de personnes souffrent de la faim autour du globe et Aguilera est en train d’augmenter la sensibilisation en tant que porte-parole mondiale de la campagne de la lutte contre la faim de Yum ! Brands.Veuillez-vous rendre au site:www.FromHungertoHope.com (Photo:Business Wire)
Le texte du communiqué issu d’une traduction ne doit d’aucune manière être considéré comme officiel. La seule version du communiqué qui fasse foi est celle du communiqué dans sa langue d’origine. La traduction devra toujours être confrontée au texte source, qui fera jurisprudence.

Contacts

Weber Shandwick

Dana Metz, 312-988-2378

dmetz@webershandwick.com

Join the mission on World Heart Day 2012: call for signatures


Sign a petition to alert health organizations to the devastating strokes caused by an irregular heart rhythm


 (BUSINESS WIRE)-- For NON-US Media Only

To mark World Heart Day tomorrow (29.09.12), the awareness initiative “1 Mission 1 Million – Getting to the Heart of Stroke” is calling on millions of people to join together and raise awareness of the irregular heart rhythm atrial fibrillation by signing a global petition: www.heartofstroke.com/Petition. Since many people are not aware of the increased risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation, more needs to be done to raise awareness of this serious condition and ensure it is appropriately managed.

The 1 Mission 1 Million initiative asks anyone affected or concerned by heart diseases and rhythm disorders to sign thepetition, which will be submitted to the world’s health organizations to ensure that atrial fibrillation is acknowledged as a serious condition and a risk factor for stroke.

Within families and among friends, most people will be able to identify someone, even a close relative, who has atrial fibrillation. People with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to suffer a stroke and atrial fibrillation-related strokes are more severe and are associated with more disability than non atrial fibrillation-related strokes.1-3,4 The 1 Mission 1 Million petition, which has been developed in collaboration with the World Heart Federation, calls for action to be taken now to protect people from the devastating consequences of stroke.

“Every year, more than three million people worldwide have an atrial fibrillation-related stroke. Many of these strokes can be prevented so the World Heart Federation encourages everybody to join the mission to help save lives.” said Dr Kathryn Taubert, Chief Science Officer for the World Heart Federation.

The 1 Mission 1 Million petition highlights specific measures that need to be taken to help prevent atrial fibrillation-related stroke, including: better awareness and education, earlier and better diagnosis, improved management and treatment of atrial fibrillation, as well as improved stroke prevention. Supporting, signing and sharing the 1 Mission 1 Million petition is a first step towards potentially saving millions of lives from atrial fibrillation-related stroke.

The 1 Mission 1 Million petition has been developed in collaboration with the World Heart Federation and is supported by AntiCoagulation Europe, the Arrhythmia Alliance, the Atrial Fibrillation Association and the Stroke Alliance for Europe. 1 Mission 1 Million – Getting to the Heart of Stroke is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.

~ends~

Please click on the link below for “Notes to Editors” and “References”: http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/news/news_releases/press_releases/2012/28_september_20121mission1million.html

Contacts

Boehringer Ingelheim

Corporate Communications

Media + PR

Julia Meyer-Kleinmann

Phone: +49-6132–77-8271

Fax: +49-6132–77-6601

Email: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com


Octapharma ouvre un centre de recherche de 25 millions d'Euros, dédié à la recherche sur la protéine recombinante, à Heidelberg

LACHEN, Suisse - Samedi 29 Septembre 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Octapharma AG annonce aujourd'hui l'ouverture, à Heidelberg, en Allemagne, d'un centre de recherche de 25 millions d'Euros pour le développement de médicaments basés sur la protéine recombinante. Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals GmbH est une filiale d'Octapharma AG, l'un des principaux fournisseurs mondiaux de protéines thérapeutiques humaines et l'une des premières entreprises à utiliser la technologie recombinante à partir de cellules humaines. Le fait d'investir dans ce centre de Recherche et de Développement dernier cri témoigne de l'engagement continu d'Octapharma en faveur du développement de médicaments recombinants efficaces, sûrs et hautement tolérables. L'approche unique d'Octapharma - d'humain à humain - singularise ses produits des recombinants basés sur les lignées cellulaires d'origine animale.

Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals GmbH a été fondé à Munich en 1997. Au fur et à mesure de l'accroissement de la division de recherche sur la protéine recombinante d'Octopharma, il parut évident que le site original, d'une superficie de 1.400 m², situé au sein du centre de recherche et d'innovation en biotechnologies IZB, n'était pas en mesure d'offrir l'espace nécessaire à une expansion future. En dépit d'opportunités similaires existant à Munich, lorsque Wolfgang Marguerre, fondateur et président d'Octapharma AG, a visité le Heidelberg Technology Park, il a su que c'était le lieu idéal pour implanter le centre. Ce nouveau site place l'entreprise au coeur d'un ensemble scientifique proche d'établissements médicaux et cliniques, dont le Centre Allemand de Recherche contre le Cancer (DKFZ) et l'Hôpital universitaire d'Heidelberg, l'un des principaux centres médicaux européens.

Le Dr. Ulrich Thibaut, membre du Conseil de R&D d'Octapharma AG, a déclaré: "Le bâtiment ressemble à un navire; il est doté d'une proue en verre, et se dirige vers de nouvelles frontières. A bien des égards, ceci reflète le travail que nous effectuons ici - en entreprenant un voyage de découverte. Notre nouveau site à Heidelberg renforcera notre empreinte dans l'une des grappes de biotechnologie majeures d'Allemagne."

L'impressionnant nouveau bâtiment de 10.000m² a été conçu par Burger and Partner, un cabinet d'architecte local originaire d'Heidelberg. Non seulement cet impressionnant bâtiment hébergera un centre de recherche novateur dans le domaine des technologies humaines recombinantes, mais il ouvrira également la voie au développement de la production clinique de ces nouveaux produits. L'édifice de 6 mètres de haut permet d'entreposer des fermenteurs de production de 1.000 litres. Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals, qui emploie actuellement 46 personnes, possède désormais un espace dédié de laboratoires et de bureaux pouvant accueillir jusqu'à 120 collaborateurs.

Wolfgang Marguerre a déclaré: "Le nouveau site accueillant Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals se trouve dans ma ville natale, à quelques minutes à peine de mon lieu de naissance et de l'école où j'ai été scolarisé étant enfant. Je me sens particulièrement fier du fait que nous mettons l'accent sur ces activités de recherche clé dans cette excellente ville universitaire. Le travail révolutionnaire effectué dans ce centre aura une portée internationale."

Carola Schröder, directrice générale d'Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals, a déclaré: "Notre objectif est d'utiliser des lignées cellulaires humaines pour créer des médicaments plus compatibles, mieux tolérés et à immunogénicité réduite. Alternative moderne des produits plasmatiques, ces médicaments novateurs seront utilisés pour le traitement des patients, notamment hémophiles. L'un des projets au stade préclinique utilise cette technologie recombinante pour développer une thérapie d'appoint visant à rétablir le système immunitaire après une chimiothérapie, pour les patients atteints d'une tumeur."

Pour célébrer l'ouverture de ce centre dernier cri, Octapharma apporte l'Oktoberfest à Heidelberg, sous la forme d'une fête en l'honneur des racines bavaroises de nombreux employés qui ont quitté Munich pour venir travailler dans le nouveau site. Quelques 400 invités, dont le Maire d'Heidelberg, rejoignent la famille Marguerre pour célébrer le début d'une nouvelle ère dans la recherche novatrice d'Octapharma dans le domaine des technologies recombinantes.

À propos d'Octapharma

Octapharma est l'un des plus importants fournisseurs de produits à base de plasmatiques humains au monde. Notre principal domaine d'activité consiste en la mise au point, la production et la vente de protéines humaines de haute qualité provenant autant du plasma humain que de lignées cellulaires humaines. Octapharma emploie plus de 5.000 personnes dans 28 pays. Des patients de plus de 80 pays sont traités avec des produits dans les domaines thérapeutiques suivants :

• Hématologie (troubles de la coagulation)

• Immunothérapie (troubles immunitaires)

• Soins intensifs et médecine d'urgence

Octapharma possède cinq usines de production dernier cri en Autriche, en France, en Allemagne, en Suède et au Mexique. Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur www.octapharma.com

Le texte du communiqué issu d’une traduction ne doit d’aucune manière être considéré comme officiel. La seule version du communiqué qui fasse foi est celle du communiqué dans sa langue d’origine. La traduction devra toujours être confrontée au texte source, qui fera jurisprudence.

Contacts

Octapharma AG

Communications d'entreprise

Claudie Qumsieh

Tél: +41 (55) 451 21 78

claudie.qumsieh@octapharma.com

Unprecedented progression-free survival benefit with afatinib* associated with clinically meaningful improvements in life-limiting lung cancer symptoms and better quality of life

New data from the LUX-Lung 3 trial in first-line patients with EGFR mutation positive NSCLC, presented at the ESMO 2012 Congress (European Society for Medical Oncology) shows that patients benefit from substantial improvements in lung cancer-related symptoms and have better quality of life when treated with the irreversible ErbB Family Blocker, afatinib*.

       
VIENNA - Friday, September 28th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

Poster: #1229PD

Presentation: Sunday, September 30; 12:45 – 2:45 PM CEST

Poster Discussion Session: NSCLC, metastatic

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For NON-US media only

Data from LUX-Lung 3, the largest and most robust registration trial to datea in patients with EGFR (ErbB1) mutation positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) shows that the novel compound afatinib*, an irreversible ErbB Family Blocker, leads to better and longer control and improvement of the most common lung cancer-related symptoms and better quality of life (QoL) compared to chemotherapy (pemetrexed and cisplatin), considered best-in-class for non-squamous NSCLC.1,2 These findings further reinforce the outstanding first-line efficacy of afatinib* in patients with EGFR mutation positive NSCLC.

Analyses of patients’ questionnaires for three pre-specified lung cancer symptoms (cough, dyspnoea and pain) showed that more afatinib*-treated patients experienced significant improvements in dyspnoea (64% vs. 50%; p=0.0103), a statistical trend towards improvement in pain (59% vs. 48%; p=0.0513) and numerical improvements in cough (67% vs. 60%; p=0.2444) compared to those treated with pemetrexed / cisplatin.1 Afatinib* also significantly delayed the time to deterioration for cough (HR=0.60; p=0.007) and dyspnoea (HR=0.68; p=0.0145) versus chemotherapy.1 Importantly, afatinib* treatment led to improved physical, role and cognitive functioning, and overall better QoL.1

“Lung cancer-related symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and pain are very distressing and have a dramatic impact on patients’ quality of life.” said Dr Matthew Peters, chair of The Global Lung Cancer Coalition. “With around 90% of advanced NSCLC patients experiencing two or more disease-related symptoms and high levels of associated psychological distress3 it is important that we consider these endpoints when assessing the benefits of a treatment.”

Previously presented LUX-Lung 3 trial data has shown that patients taking afatinib* as a first-line treatment lived for almost one year without their tumour growing again (median progression-free survival (PFS) of 11.1 months) versus just over half a year (PFS of 6.9 months) for those treated with pemetrexed / cisplatin.4 Furthermore, NSCLC patients with tumours harbouring the two most common EGFR mutations taking afatinib* lived for well over a year without tumour progression (PFS of 13.6 months) versus just over half a year (PFS of 6.9 months) for those in the comparator arm.4 Patients with common EGFR mutations who experienced a greater PFS benefit also experienced a greater benefit in health-related QoL, symptom control and symptom improvement.1

“Following encouraging data presented earlier this year, the new data demonstrate that the positive progression-free survival outcomes with afatinib* also translate into additional benefits for patients in terms of quality of life and control and improvement of symptoms,” commented Dr Vera Hirsh, Associate Professor, McGill University, Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Canada. “This further supports the potential of this treatment option in first-line treatment of metastatic NSCLC to effectively help those patients harboring EGFR mutations.”

Afatinib* is an irreversible ErbB Family Blocker, thus it differs from currently available targeted therapies in that it irreversibly and completely inhibits ErbB receptor signal transduction, blocking the key pathways that help tumour cells grow, migrate and metabolise.5 This novel mode of action may lead to a distinct therapeutic benefit and has provided the basis for initiation of the LUX-Lung trial programme.5

This years’ ESMO 2012 Congress sees the presentation of 13 abstracts assessing the efficacy and safety of Boehringer Ingelheim’s investigational oncology compounds afatinib* and nintedanib*.

Presentations of Boehringer Ingelheim Investigational Oncology Compounds at ESMO 2012 Congress

Title
        

First Author
        

Details
    

Afatinib*
                            

LUX-Lung 3: Activity of afatinib in uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in LUX-Lung 3, a phase III trial of afatinib or cisplatin/pemetrexed in EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer
        

J.C.-H. Yang
        

1252P Date: Saturday, 29 September Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

Phase II trial of afatinib as a third-line treatment for Korean patients (pts) with wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (wtEGFR) stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma
        

M.-J.A. Ahn
        

1292P Date: Saturday, 29 September Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

LUX-Lung 3: Symptom and health-related quality of life results from a randomized phase III study in 1st-line advanced NSCLC patients harbouring EGFR mutations
        

L.V. Sequist
        

1229PD

Date: Sunday, 30 September

Time: 12:45 – 14:45 PM CEST
    

A Phase I study of daily afatinib, an irreversible ErbB Family Blocker, combined with weekly paclitaxel and 2-weekly bevacizumab in patients with advanced solid tumours
        

D. Enting
        

464P Date: Monday, 1 October Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

Phase I study to compare safety and pharmacokinetics of afatinib, an oral irreversible ErbB Family Blocker, in non-cancer subjects with hepatic impairment to matched healthy subjects
        

D. Schnell
        

468P Date: Monday, 1 October Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

Phase I safety and tolerability of once daily oral afatinib (A) (BIBW 2992) in combination with gemcitabine (G) in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumours
        

S. Zanetta
        

478P Date: Monday, 1 October Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

Phase I safety and tolerability of once daily oral afatinib (A) in combination with docetaxel (D) in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory advanced solid tumours
        

H. Senellart
        

494P Date: Monday, 1 October Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

LUX-Lung 8: A randomized, open-label, Phase III trial of afatinib vs. erlotinib in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung as second-line therapy following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy
        

G. Goss
        

509TiP Date: Monday, 1 October Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

LUX-Lung 5: Impact of EGFR mutation status on clinical benefit from BIBW 2992 in patients (pts) with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progressing after chemotherapy (ctx) and erlotinib (E) or gefitinib (G) – A single center experience
        

J. Köhler
        

1339 Abstract Only
    

Activity of afatinib/cetuximab in patients (pts) with EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and acquired resistance (AR) to EGFR inhibitors
        

Y.Y. Janjigian
        

1227O Date: Sunday, 30 September Time: 9:00 – 11:00 AM CEST
    

Combination Afatinib* and Nintedanib*
                            

Phase I study of afatinib (BIBW 2992), an ErbB Family Blocker plus nintedanib (BIBF 1120), a triple angiokinase inhibitor, in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumours
        

J.-C. Soria
        

446PD Date: Sunday, 30 September Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

Nintedanib*
                            

Phase I study of nintedanib (BIBF 1120) in European patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
        

D. Palmer
        

740P Date: Sunday, 30 September Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

Early data from a phase I study of nintedanib (BIBF 1120) in Asian patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma
        

C.-J. Yen
        

744P Date: Sunday, 30 September Time: 13:00 – 14:00 PM CEST
    

Boehringer Ingelheim Media Briefing at ESMO 2012

LUNG CANCER: what lies beneath the data

WHEN:Saturday 29 September 2012, 17:30–19:00

WHERE: Industry Press Room, Level 1, Lounge 1, ESMO2012 Congress Venue (Austria Center Vienna),Vienna, Austria

Highlights from the session, including the webcast will also be available on www.thewhiteroom.infofrom Monday 1 October. In the meantime, visit this online resource centre for further information.

Notes to Editors

About Afatinib*

Afatinib* is an irreversible ErbB Family Blocker which inhibits signal transduction of all kinase receptors from the ErbB Family5, which is known to play a critical role in the growth and spread of the most pervasive cancers and cancers associated with high mortality (lung, breast, and head & neck cancers). Afatinib* is currently also in Phase III clinical development in breast cancer and head & neck cancer.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recently accepted the submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application from Boehringer Ingelheim for approval of afatinib* as a treatment in patients with EGFR mutation positive NSCLC.

About LUX-Lung 3 Trial

LUX-Lung 3 is the largest and most robust registration trial to date in patients with advanced EGFR mutation positive lung cancer. LUX-Lung 3 is a global, randomized, open-label, Phase III trial and the first to directly compare a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (afatinib*) to the standard chemotherapy agents, pemetrexed and cisplatin. The study included 345 previously untreated patients with EGFR mutation positive NSCLC.4

The most common drug-related adverse events observed in the afatinib* treatment arm were diarrhoea (95%), rash/acne (89%), and mucositis/stomatitis (72%). The most common drug-related adverse events observed in the chemotherapy arm (pemetrexed /cisplatin) were nausea (66%), decreased appetite (53%), and vomiting (42%). There was a low discontinuation rate associated with treatment-related adverse events in the trial (8% discontinuation rate for afatinib*; 12% for chemotherapy). One percent of patients in the afatinib* arm discontinued treatment due to diarrhoea.

About Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most common and most deadly form of cancer in the world.6 In Europe, it accounts for 391,000 new cancer cases annually, and 342,000 deaths each year.7 Overall, lung cancer is the cause of 19.9% of all cancer deaths in Europe.7 Thirteen percent of all new cases of cancer are lung cancers8 and smoking is attributed as the main cause.9

Early testing for tumour EGFR mutation status of lung cancer patients is critical in improving patient outcomes. Between 10-15% of Caucasian and 40% of Asian NSCLC patients have tumours harbouring EGFR mutations, with approximately 90% of these accounting for two mutations (del19 or L858R).10

About Nintedanib*

Nintedanib* is a triple angiokinase inhibitor that blocks three growth factor receptors simultaneously: vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR 1-3), platelet-derived growth factor receptors (PDGFR alpha and beta) and fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR 1-3).11 All three receptors are crucially involved in the formation and maintenance of new blood vessels (angiogenesis); their blockade may lead to the inhibition of angiogenesis, which plays a critical role in tumour growth and spread.12,13

Nintedanib* is currently being investigated in patients with a number of various solid tumours including advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), ovarian cancer, liver cancer (hepatic cell carcinoma), kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma), and colorectal cancer.

About Boehringer Ingelheim in Oncology

Building on scientific expertise and research excellence in the fields of pulmonary and cardiovascular medicine, metabolic disease, neurology, virology and immunology, Boehringer Ingelheim has embarked on a major research programme to develop innovative cancer drugs. Working in close collaboration with the international scientific community and a number of the world’s leading cancer centres, Boehringer Ingelheim’s commitment to oncology is underpinned by using advances in science to develop a range of targeted therapies for various solid tumours and haematological cancers.

The current focus of research includes compounds in three areas: angiogenesis inhibition, signal transduction inhibition and cell-cycle kinase inhibition. Nintedanib*, an angiogenesis inhibitor is currently in Phase III clinical development in NSCLC and ovarian cancer. In the area of cell-cycle kinase inhibition, Boehringer Ingelheim is developing an inhibitor of polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1), volasertib*, a protein that is involved in the processes of cell division. The compound is in Phase II development for acute myeloid leukaemia.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s oncology pipeline is evolving and demonstrates the company’s continued commitment to advance the disease area.

Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 145 affiliates and more than 44,000 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

As a central element of its culture, Boehringer Ingelheim pledges to act socially responsible. Involvement in social projects, caring for employees and their families, and providing equal opportunities for all employees form the foundation of the global operations. Mutual cooperation and respect, as well as environmental protection and sustainability are intrinsic factors in all of Boehringer Ingelheim’s endeavours.

In 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of about 13.2 billion euro. R&D expenditure in the business area Prescription Medicines corresponds to 23.5% of its net sales.

For more information please visit:

www.boehringer-ingelheim.com, www.thewhiteroom.infoand www.newshome.com

a LUX-Lung 3 included 345 patients in 133 sites in 25 countries. Results were independently reviewed. The chemotherapy arm was cisplatin / pemetrexed, considered the most efficacious platinum doublet chemotherapy in advanced and metastatic lung cancer.2 The trial prospectively selected EGFR (ErbB1) mutations, rather than retrospectively. The trial was the largest trial conducted in lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations. The trial included patients from all over the world including Caucasians and Asians.

* These are investigational compounds.

Their safety and efficacy have not yet been fully established.

References

1. Abstract no: 1229PD. Sequist L. V. et al. LUX-Lung 3: Symptom and health-related quality of life results from a randomized phase III study in 1st-line advanced NSCLC patients harbouring EGFR mutations. ESMO 2012 Congress. Available at: http://abstracts.webges.com/myitinerary/session-148.html?congress=esmo2012#.UFdGtBr1LSY.gmai

2. Scagliotti GV, et al. Phase III study comparing cisplatin plus gemcitabine with cisplatin plus pemetrexed in chemotherapy-naive patients with advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer.J Clin Oncol 2008;26(21):3543–51

3. Tanaka K. et al. Impact of Dyspnea, Pain, and Fatigue on Daily Life Activities in Ambulatory Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management 2002, Vol. 23 No. 5.

4. Abstract no: LBA7500. Yang et al. LUX-Lung 3: A randomized, open-label, phase III study of afatinib versus pemetrexed and cisplatin as first-line treatment for patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung harboring EGFR-activating mutations. Oral Presentation at 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2012.

5. Solca, F. et al. Target Binding Properties and Cellular Activity of Afatinib (BIBW 2992), an Irreversible ErbB Family Blocker (Fast Forward 10 August 2012) . J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2012 343 (2).

6. Ferlay J et al. Estimates of worldwide burden of cancer in 2008: GLOBOCAN 2008. Int J Cancer 2010; 127 2893-2917.

7. Ferlay J et al. Estimates of cancer incidence and mortality in Europe in 2008. EJC 2010; 46 765-781.

8. Cancer Research UK. UK lung cancer incidence. CancerStats – Key Facts 2009. [Online] Available at: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/lung/incidence/[Last Accessed September 2012].

9. Allen J et al. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2008;6(3): 285-293.

10. Quest Diagnostics – Lung Cancer Mutation Panel. [Online] Available at: http://www.questdiagnostics.com/hcp/intguide/jsp/showintguidepage.jsp?fn=TS_LungCancerMutation_Panel.htm[Last Accessed September 2012].

11. Hilberg F et al. BIBF1120: Triple angiokinase inhibitor with sustained receptor blockade and good anti-tumor efficacy. Cancer Research 2008;68(12): 4774-4782.

12. Folkman N. Clinical Applications of Research on Angiogenesis. New England Journal of Medicine 1995;333: 1757-1763

13. Ellis, L.M. and Hicklin, D.J. VEGF-targeted therapy: mechanisms of anti-tumour activity. Nature Reviews Cancer 2008;8: 579-591.

Contacts

Boehringer Ingelheim

Corporate Communications

Media + PR

Reinhard Malin

55216 Ingelheim/Germany

Phone: +49 6132 77 90815

Fax: +49 6132 77 6601

Email: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com

More information

www.boehringer-ingelheim.com








Intertek appointed for strategic partnership with the Quality and Conformity Council of Abu Dhabi

LONDON - Saturday, September 29th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Intertek, a global leader in quality solutions serving a wide range of industries, has entered into partnership with the Abu Dhabi Government Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) to support the quality programme for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The long term partnership has different stages of activity. Intertek will initially provide advisory services for the development of more effective quality conformity schemes for specified products and systems. Following this, Intertek will provide operational management services and quality assurance support for QCC’s existing testing and certification resources whilst underpinning the establishment of new testing capabilities for an extended range of products. Intertek will then work with QCC to establish centers of excellence in Abu Dhabi covering major sectors such as food and water, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, building materials and electrical appliances.

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council was established in 2009 by the Government of Abu Dhabi to increase quality of the UAE’s exports and to assure quality of imports and domestic goods across many industries. In line with the Economic Vision 2030, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is diversifying and broadening its economic base with a range of new industry, social, health, infrastructure and export development initiatives.

Intertek’s selection by QCC recognises Intertek’s capabilities as the leading provider of global quality solutions and its experience in delivering effective quality outsourcing programmes across diverse global markets and industries.

The programme will draw upon Intertek’s extensive expert knowledge and laboratories in a range of industries including pharmaceutical and biopharmaceuticals safety and quality, medicine safety and authenticity, medical devices certification and testing, food safety and authenticity as well as consumer and commercial product quality. The programme will support the development of the Emirate’s quality framework and products to meet higher expectations of quality and safety from its growing population.

QCC Secretary General, H.E Hussain Salem Al Katheeri said, “Directly in line with Abu Dhabi’s 2030 Economic Vision, Intertek’s guidance and technical support will underpin the development of the region’s quality framework. This will enhance the quality of Abu Dhabi exports and those products traded locally whilst also serving to enforce higher quality and safety standards of imported goods for the protection of Abu Dhabi consumers. It will also help train local talent to continue the development of the Emirate’s quality programme.”

Wolfhart Hauser, Intertek Chief Executive, said: “We are honoured to be selected by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council to support the development of its quality programme in the Emirate. We look forward to partnering with QCC to implement a world-class quality framework that is responsive to the unique needs of their region and which will play a valuable role in its dynamic economy.”

About Intertek

Intertek (ITRK.L) is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 33,000 people in more than 100 countries around the world. Visit www.intertek.com

Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council

The Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council was established by the government of Abu Dhabi to increase quality in the region’s exports/imports and domestic goods across all industries. Under the 2030 Economic Vision, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is diversifying and broadening its economic base with a raft of new industry, social, health, infrastructure and export development initiatives. Visit: http://www.qcc.abudhabi.ae/english/index.htm

Contacts

Media enquiries:

Sarah Ogilvie, Corporate Communications, Intertek Group plc

+44 20 7396 3400



Joel Pekay, Sales & Marketing, Intertek Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals

+1 (312) 906-7716



Market enquiries:

Andrew Swift, Executive Vice President, Intertek Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals

Andrew.Swift@intertek.com



Gilbert Ligner, Business Leader, Intertek Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, Switzerland

Gilbert.Ligner@intertek.com


Commercialisation of Innovative Ideas to Gain Enhanced Thrust at 60-Day Programme for Emerging Entrepreneurs

Dubai Internet City to Provide Infrastructure for Initiative Hosted by i360hub

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Saturday, September 29th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

Incubation of ideas and supporting young entrepreneurs is the way forward for economic and regional growth. As an engine that drives the creation of a knowledge-economy, Dubai Internet City prioritises its responsibility to promote entrepreneurialism at the grassroots level and keenly seeks opportunities to support this mandate, said Majed Al Suwaidi, Director Business Development, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone.

Al Suwaidi’s comments come ahead of Dubai Internet City’s support to i360accelerator, a 60-day programme that aims to bridge the gap between innovative ideas and commercialisation in the MENA region through helping creative people overcome obstacles in doing business. The programme is organised by i360hub, a regional framework and infrastructure established by global consulting group Innovation 360.

Al Suwaidi added: “Our support for the platforms such as i360hub comes as part of our broader vision to bolster the creation of an inventive and entrepreneurial ecosystem and facilitate emerging entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa region. We are confident that i360hub will provide the right thrust and enabling environment for potential business persons to bring their creative ideas to fruition.”

Scheduled to commence in November in Dubai, i360accelerator will offer training on business and innovation to new entrepreneurs. As part of the format, participants will be mentored to form successful teams for the purpose of conceptualising and running a viable enterprise. In addition to serving as a creative platform to meet and work together, the programme will provide participants with access to an IT and product design lab led by coding and design experts. Furthermore, the accelerator will award a sum of AED70,000 in seed funding to the winning idea. 

For corporates, i360acceleratoris set to open doors to innovative ideas, technology and IP that can be incorporated into the company’s offerings. They will also have the opportunity to assign internal teams or ‘intraprenuers’ to the accelerator for developing IP or innovation projects.

Dubai Internet City will provide the infrastructure for participants as part of its support to the programme. It will also steer a preliminary segment themed ‘Digital Technology’. In the run up to the November event, i360hub and Dubai Internet City will additionally host several i360hub idea marathon events, or ‘Innov-a-thons’, where i360accelerator hopefuls will pitch their ideas for a chance to receive on-the-spot funding and a place in the accelerator.

Kamal Hassan, Founder of Innovation 360, said: “Building a robust ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship requires the dedicated efforts of many people. Our partnership with Dubai Internet City highlights how complimentary organizations can work together to build an ecosystem that facilitates the success of regional start-ups and SMEs.”

To apply for the i360accelerator programme,contestants are required to register at http://i360accelerator.eventbrite.com/ Registrants can then attend the local i360hub Innov-a-thon to pitch their idea, form a brainstorming team, and submit a final pitch for AED3,500 start-up prize. Innov-a-thon attendees will then nominate the best ideas to the i360accelerator. All nominees will be carefully reviewed and selected by the i360accelerator team and early stage investors.

-ends-

About Dubai Internet City

Dubai Internet City (DIC), a member of TECOM Investments, was established in 2000. It is currently regarded the Middle East's largest information and communications technology (ICT) cluster. Built as a strategic base for companies targeting emerging markets in several neighbouring regions, DIC’s core focus area extends from the Middle East to the Indian Subcontinent, and from Africa to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), covering nearly three billion people with a GDP of over US$10 trillion. As a knowledge-oriented business model, DIC has created a dynamic international community of IT companies hosting business partners that include most of the Fortune 500 brands, as well as a number of small and medium enterprises and ventures. In 2009, 135 new companies joined the DIC cluster. For more information, please visit: www.dubaiinternetcity.com

Contacts

Nancy Sudheer

APCO Worldwide

+ 971 4 369 2834

nsudheer@apcoworldwide.com





Octapharma opens €25 million recombinant research facility in Heidelberg

LACHEN, Switzerland - Friday, September 28th 2012 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Octapharma AG today announces the opening of a €25 million research facility dedicated to recombinant protein drug development in Heidelberg, Germany. Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals GmbH is a subsidiary of Octapharma AG, one of the world’s largest providers of human therapeutic proteins and one of the first companies using recombinant technology from human cells. The investment into the state-of-the-art recombinant Research and Development center signifies Octapharma’s continued commitment to developing efficacious, safe and highly tolerable recombinant medicines. Octapharma’s unique approach, from human to human, sets the company apart from those recombinant products based on animal derived cell lines.

Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals GmbH was founded in 1997 in Munich. As the recombinant research arm of Octapharma grew it was evident that the original 1400 m² site, in the biotech research and innovation centre IZB, could not offer the spaceneeded for future expansion. Although alternatives in Munich were considered, when Wolfgang Marguerre, founder and chairman of Octapharma AG, was shown Heidelberg Technology Park he knew this was the place to build. The new location places the company in the heart of a scientific cluster close to medical and clinical establishments including the German Cancer Research Center (the DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital, one of the leading medical centers in Europe.

Dr. Ulrich Thibaut, Board Member R&D Octapharma AG, said “the building resembles a ship, with a glass bow, going forward into new frontiers. In many ways this reflects the work we are doing here, undertaking a journey of discovery. Our new location in Heidelberg will strengthen our footprint in one of the most important biotech clusters in Germany.”

The striking new 10,000 m² building was designed by local Heidelberg architectural firm Burger and Partner. Not only will the impressive building be home to innovative research in human recombinant technology, but also to the development of the clinical production of these new products. The 6 meter high space allows for the scaling up to 1000 litre fermenters for production. Currently employing 46 people, Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals now has laboratory and office space for up to 120 staff.

Wolfgang Marguerre said “the new home of Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals is in my hometown, only a few minutes from my birthplace and the school I attended as a boy. I feel very proud that we are focusing these key research activities in this excellent university city. The groundbreaking work being carried out here will have international reach.”

Carola Schröder, GM of Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals, said “through the use of human cell lines we aim to create more compatible medicines with improved tolerability and reduced immunogenicity. As a modern alternative to plasma products these innovative medicines will be used in the treatment of patients including those with haemophilia. One project in the preclinical stage uses this recombinant technology to develop supportive therapy to restore the immune system after tumour patients have undergone chemotherapy.”

To celebrate the opening of the state-of-the-art facility Octapharma brings Oktoberfest to Heidelberg in the form of a party to honour the Bavarian roots of many of the employees who moved from Munich to the new location in Heidelberg. Some 400 guests, including the Mayor of Heidelberg, are joining the Marguerre family to mark the beginning of a new era in Octapharma’s innovative research into recombinant technologies.

About Octapharma

Octapharma is one of the largest plasma human protein product manufacturers in the world. Our core business is the development, production and sale of premium human proteins from human plasma and human cell-lines. Octapharma employs almost 5,000 people in 28 countries with sales of approximately €1 billion. Patients in over 80 countries are treated with products in the following therapeutic areas:

• Haematology (coagulation disorders)

• Immunotherapy (immune disorders)

• Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

Octapharma owns five state of the art production facilities in Austria, France, Germany, Sweden and Mexico. For more information visit www.octapharma.com

Contacts

Octapharma AG

Corporate Communications

Claudie Qumsieh

Tel: +41 (55) 451 21 78

claudie.qumsieh@octapharma.com