UCB CEO, Roch Doliveux, to chair Innovative Medicines Initiative board for a second term
Brussels (Belgium), April 1, 2014 – 9:00 AM (CET) – UCB and IMI announced today that CEO Roch Doliveux has again been appointed Chair of the Governing Board of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), a public-private partnership between the European Union and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). UCB has been a member of IMI since its initiation in 2006 with Roch Doliveux joining the IMI Governing Board in May 2010, and Chairing the IMI Governing Board from 2012 to 2013.
IMI currently supports 46 projects with a combined budget of around €1.6 billion. IMI projects are tackling some of the biggest challenges in medicines research, with the goal speeding up the development of, and patient access to, better and safer medicines. In addition, IMI supports a number of education & training projects. IMI has proved highly successful and a proposal to extend the initiative is now under discussion in the European Parliament and the EU Member States.
Roch Doliveux, CEO of UCB and Vice President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Association (EFPIA) says ”Never has science given us so many opportunities to innovate and provide better health to citizens around the world. Yet science is now so complex that no one can harness its potential on its own. IMI is the biggest public-private partnership of its kind, and a role model for open innovation and knowledge sharing between the industry and academia. It is also without a doubt a key instrument to increase the well-being of patients across Europe.”
Michel Goldman, Executive Director of IMI said: “Roch Doliveux has long been a strong supporter of IMI, and his dedication and vision, and those of his colleagues on the Governing Board, have helped to make IMI the strong, successful organization it is today. I am confident that his leadership skills, combined with his focus on the needs of patients, will ensure IMI goes from strength to strength as it moves into the next phase of its existence.”
UCB is a significant contributor to the Innovative Medicines Initiative. UCB is participating in 21 of the consortia within IMI, leading 3 projects with academic partners: BTCURE, PRECISEADS and AETIONOMY.
Note to editors
*Roch Doliveux has been UCB’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Committee for the last ten years. Under his leadership, UCB has developed into a focused patient-centric biopharmaceutical leader recognized for its attractive growth prospects and productive pipeline. In February 2014, Roch Doliveux announced that he will hand over his CEO responsibilities to Jean-Christophe Tellier on January 1. He is a member of the Board of Directors of UCB, a member of the Board of Stryker Corporation and of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and Vice President on the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Association (EFPIA) Board. He also chairs the Caring Entrepreneurship Fund (King Baudouin Foundation), a philanthropic initiative which supports entrepreneurship in health and wellness..
For further information UCB:
- Antje Witte, Investor Relations, UCB
T +32.2.559.9414, antje.witte@ucb.com - Alexandra Deschner, Investor Relations, UCB
T: +32.2.559.9683, alexandra.deschner@ucb.com - France Nivelle, Global Communications, UCB
T +32.2.559.9178, france.nivelle@ucb.com - Laurent Schots, Media Relations, UCB
T +32.2.559.9264, laurent.schots@ucb.com
For further information IMI
Catherine Brett – External Relations Manager
T +32 2 541 8214, M +32 484 896227, catherine.brett@imi.europa.eu
About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 8500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 3.4 billion in 2013. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news
About the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI):
The Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is the world’s largest public-private partnership in health. IMI is improving the environment for pharmaceutical innovation in Europe by engaging and supporting networks of industrial and academic experts in collaborative research projects. The European Union contributes €1 billion to the IMI research programme, and this is matched by in kind contributions worth at least another €1 billion from the member companies of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
The Innovative Medicines Initiative currently supports 46 projects, many of which are already producing impressive results. The projects are all working to address the biggest challenges in drug development, with the goal of accelerating the development of safer and more effective treatments for patients.
- More info on IMI: www.imi.europa.eu
- Follow us on Twitter: @IMI_JU
About EFPIA:
EFPIA represents the pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. Through its direct
membership of 31 national associations and 35 leading pharmaceutical companies, EFPIA provides
the voice of 2,000 companies committed to researching, developing and bringing new medicines
to improve health and quality of life around the world.
Forward looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial information, expected legal, political, regulatory or clinical results and other such estimates and results. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions which could cause actual results to differ materially from those that may be implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to obtain them on acceptable terms, costs associated with research and development, changes in the prospects for products in the pipeline or under development by UCB, effects of future judicial decisions or governmental investigations, product liability claims, challenges to patent protection for products or product candidates, changes in laws or regulations, exchange rate fluctuations, changes or uncertainties in tax laws or the administration of such laws and hiring and retention of its employees. UCB is providing this information as of the date of this press release and expressly disclaims any duty to update any information contained in this press release, either to confirm the actual results or to report a change in its expectations.
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Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.
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