French medical care giant committed to medical needs in China

International independent pharmaceutical company Servier celebrated recently its 40th anniversary in China. On this occasion, Servier held a celebration in Beijing in the presence of Olivier Laureau, President of Servier, the Group Executive Committee members, medical practitioners and partners.

Laureau stressed the strategic importance of China for Servier and the Group's commitment to continue to invest over the long term to meet the growing medical needs of patients.

In 1979, the first Sino-French medical forum was held in Beijing. Shortly after, Servier began its operations in China, making Servier one of the very first multinational pharmaceutical companies to establish a presence in the country.

"Servier is committed to therapeutic progress to serve patient needs. In China, more than

3 million people are treated with our medicines daily. For 40 years, our ambition has been to offer therapeutic innovations that address major health issues such as chronic diseases. We are ready to address tomorrow's health challenges in China, as illustrated by the expansion of the Tianjin site which will double its annual production capacity to meet the growing medical needs of patients in China," said Laureau.

Today more than 2000 people are employed by the company in China for promotion, research and development, and production.

Over the past 40 years, Servier China has established a strong reputation within the clinical and scientific community. Recently, Servier China was recognized by the China Cardiovascular Association for "Outstanding Contribution to Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control."

"Servier is very proud to have received this award from such an influential association in cardiovascular medicine. This recognition reflects the longstanding commitment of all employees to improve the lives of patients in China suffering from chronic diseases. It provides strong motivation for us to continue this important work. In the future, and in partnership with health care professionals, Servier China will retain its strong focus on patients with chronic diseases, helping to achieve the goals of Healthy China 2030, the ambitious plan to improve the health and welfare of the Chinese citizens," said Stephane Mascarau, General Manager of Servier China.

Servier China is committed to bringing new therapies to the Chinese market, providing additional options for physicians and patients. In 2019, Coveram was launched in China and in 2020, thanks to the partnership with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Servier is expected to make available a new drug in the DPP4 inhibitor class.

Servier China also plans to enter the oncology domain, one of the Group's strategic priorities, launching innovative therapies to meet patients' needs suffering from cancer. As a result of strong R&D activity, Servier China also strives to play an increasing role in the clinical development of innovative oncology drugs.

"There is an encouragement in China for the participation of the country in international multi-centric clinical trials and global early phases. The local regulations are also becoming globally harmonized and these changes bring new opportunities to involve even more China in our global trials," commented Marcia Matos, director of International Center of Therapeutic Research, Servier.

To support this continued development, a large extension to the manufacturing plant in Tianjin will be completed in 2020. This major investment will allow the plant to more than double its production capacity.

"We aim to put our production and supply close to the health care professionals and close to the patients, to provide a better service, and to lay a solid foundation for Servier to best meet medical needs in China," said Jianmin Zhang, General Manager of the Servier Tianjin Plant.