World Cancer Day: Servier, a committed player in the fight against cancer

At Servier, we have decided to place oncology among our priorities and to devote more than 50% of our R&D budget to it given the growing needs for therapeutic solutions in this area. On this World Cancer Day, I would like to seize the opportunity to highlight Servier’s contribution to the fight against cancer.

Our aim is to offer therapeutic solutions where the needs are not yet covered and in hard-to-treat cancers, such as digestive, hematological, and pediatric cancers.?We are thus actively involved in the fight against colorectal and pancreatic cancer, cholangiocarcinoma (a rare and aggressive cancer of the bile ducts), and hematological malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia with 7 marketed treatments.

Oncology: a priority at Servier

Our growing oncology portfolio aims to target small populations with very specific cancers and bring new treatments to patients around the world.?We are determined to improve the lives of patients for which therapeutic solutions are limited or non-existing. Therefore, we are also conducting several studies for patients that are ineligible for intensive treatments.?Our Research & Development pipeline has been strengthened and now encompasses 40 projects in oncology out of 76 projects. This innovative and differentiated pipeline represents a real hope for patients, with 50% of our projects which qualified as “first in class”.

Three promising areas in oncology?

At Servier, we conduct our R&D programs in oncology around three promising pathways: immuno-oncology (IO), apoptosis (or programmed cell death) and metabolism of cancer cells.

The first pathway consists in stimulating the patient's immune system against cancer cells, for example through antibodies (monoclonal or bispecific). We explore different immunotherapy strategies, including cell therapies, monoclonal and bispecific antibodies such as NKG2A and PDL1-4-1BB.?

The second pathway consists in developing target molecules to restore a phenomenon of programmed death?in cancer cells. We have multiple approaches in the BH3 mimetics field.

Finally, the third pathway aims to specifically affect the metabolism of cancer cells some with identified genetic alterations and currently involves several clinical research programs. To continue research and accelerate the use of these targeted therapies, the fundamental challenge remains the development of reliable biomarkers and companion diagnostics to best predict patient’s population who could benefit.

A patient-centric and innovative R&D model

Our flexible and transverse R&D model is based on three pillars that drive therapeutic progress: a patient-centered approach, targeted research in key therapeutic areas with unmet medical needs (such as oncology) and an organization of R&D with an open, efficient and dynamic approach. Our research is collaborative and organized around a network of diversified partners with, among others, 18 alliances in oncology. Recent acquisitions have also significantly strengthened our innovation capabilities in oncology.?The?acquisition in 2020 of Symphogen - a center of expertise in biotechnology in Denmark - has provided the Group with an outstanding center of excellence in monoclonal and bispecific antibodies. And thanks to the recent acquisition of the oncology division of Agios Pharmaceuticals, part our R&D teams now work at the heart of the world's leading healthcare innovation hub, in Boston. Therefore, in addition to our investment in bioproduction in France, we now have a new R&D center in Boston, in the United States, which will be inaugurated in the spring of 2022.

A new setting for Servier’s R&D

Always guided by a view for more open, more dynamic, and more productive research in favor of the patients, Servier R&D employees, based in France, will be brought together by 2023 in a unique place of interdisciplinary innovation in the Paris-Saclay cluster, which is one of the top 8 global innovation clusters and will be the heart of the Group's global R&D organization.

Being in this unique place of innovation will strengthen the commitment and efficiency of?the teams in their fight against cancer. This will help us identify the most promising avenues in oncology and become an innovative player in precision medicine.

I am confident that our approach?to bring breakthrough innovations can make the difference for thousands of patients struggling with cancers and for whom there is no available therapeutic solution yet. We believe that this approach will help improve their?quality of life throughout their care pathway.

Claude Bertrand,?Executive Vice President R&D @Servier #weareservier