Paris, France - December 7, 2009. Alain Mérieux confirms the Institute’s commitment to meeting new medical and public health challenges.
Mérieux Alliance, the Mérieux family holding company announces today that it changes its name to take on the historic name of Institut Mérieux. At a press conference held in Paris, Alain Mérieux reviewed the important role played by industrial biology in the face of major public health challenges including infectious diseases, cancer, personalized medicine, theranostics and nutrition. Along with Alexandre Mérieux and the management teams, he outlined the many strengths that Institut Mérieux and its companies—bioMérieux, Transgene, ABL and Silliker— will rely upon to meet these challenges in three strategic areas:
- in vitro diagnostics,
- immunotherapy,
- food safety and nutrition.
“Today we are returning to a name with historic value: the name Institut Mérieux, created in 1897 by Marcel Mérieux. We are especially attached to the symbol this name represents, but above all it is a flag for our commitment to serving the medicine of tomorrow,” said Alain Mérieux. “Now more than ever, we intend to serve public health globally. This flag stands for longstanding values that are as relevant today as they were yesterday: the long-term vision that is essential for our bio-industrial activities, a resolutely global approach, and growth driven by scientific innovation, upholding the
family and Pasteurian tradition.”
Institut Mérieux plans to mobilize all the scientific, industrial and financial resources necessary to carry out its missions to serve medicine and public health worldwide. Following the sale last August of the ShanH holding, which controlled the Indian vaccine company Shantha Biotechnics, the 2 Institute has concentrated on the development of three key areas of activity, with an emphasis on scientific innovation and an international presence.
Institut Mérieux, through its companies, pursues an original, innovation-based strategy focusing on:
- multidisciplinary partnerships combining public and private research, such as the partnership forged recently by the CEA and the Institut Pasteur;
- cross-disciplinary research programs involving the group’s companies and, in certain cases, Fondation Mérieux:
ADNA (Advanced Diagnostics and New Therapeutics Approaches): This personalized medicine and theranostics program brings together bioMérieux, Transgene, Généthon and GenoSafe and is supported by OSEO (French Agency for innovation aid).
A three-fold approach to fighting tuberculosis: With 8 million new cases each year, this disease represents a major public health concern. It will be the focus of a diagnostics approach (with bioMérieux), a vaccine approach (with Transgene), and an epidemiological approach with studies conducted by Fondation Mérieux in India and China.
Food safety /nutrition /health: New areas of scientific and medical investigations are being explored in connection with metagenomics, at the frontier of nutrition and health.
- Mérieux Research Grants are awarded for particularly innovative research projects that will enable the creation of international scientific investigator networks.
Within the scope of its strategy to promote innovation, Institut Mérieux has created Mérieux Développement, a new, 100% controlled investment firm devoted to healthcare. This firm aims to identify and accompany particularly innovative businesses and projects in the fields of diagnostics, prevention and therapeutics, medical devices and health-related services. As a minority shareholder and pro-active partner, Mérieux Développement intends to apply a long-term vision to its investment strategy and plans to accompany the firms in which it invests, enabling them to benefit from Institut Mérieux’s bio-industrial experience and providing access to its international network. Mérieux Développement could invest up to 70 million Euros over the next five years in high-potential firms in Europe, Canada, India and China.
Institut Mérieux strengthens its international presence, particularly in Asia, with the creation of a base in China.
For 22 years Institut Mérieux has been operating in China, where it will create a center combining R&D, bio-industrial and commercial activities. Following Europe and the United States, China will represent the third advanced base for Institut Mérieux and its companies worldwide, in a region that 3 has high-level potential in biology and substantial public health needs. Discussions are currently underway to finalize the necessary investments.
About Institut Mérieux
With extensive experience in industrial microbiology, Institut Mérieux contributes to serving medicine and public health across the globe. For the fight against infectious diseases and cancer, it imagines and develops new approaches in the fields of diagnostics, immunotherapy, and food safety and nutrition.
With its three business activities— bioMérieux, Transgene and Silliker—Institut Mérieux has the potential to provide answers to the new challenges of public health globally: personalized medicine and new therapies, infectious diseases and cancer, food safety and nutrition.
bioMérieux, listed on the Euronext Paris market and 59% owned, is based in Marcy l’Etoile (France). World leader of in vitro diagnostics and industrial microbiological controls, bioMérieux employs 6,400 people. With a global presence in 150 countries, the group has a network of 39 subsidiaries and generates revenues amounting to 1,111 billion Euros.
www.biomerieux.com
Transgene: Based in Strasburg (France), this biotech company is 55% controlled and is listed on the Paris stock exchange Euronext. It develops immunotherapy products for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.
www.transgene.fr
Silliker is a privately-owned company, 89% controlled, based in Chicago (United States). Encompassing a network of nearly 50 laboratories dedicated to improving food safety and nutrition, with 3,000 employees, Silliker operates in 16 countries today.
www.silliker.com
ABL Inc (Advanced BioScience Laboratories),is a privately-owned company 100% controlled, based in Washington D.C. (US). ABL employs 100 people specialized in virological research.
www.ablinc.com
Institut Mérieux employs nearly 10,000 people in the service of public health worldwide and generates net sales of over 1.3 billion Euros.
www.institut-merieux.com
Press contacts:
Institut Mérieux
Anne de Chiffreville
04 72 83 48 88
anne.de.chiffreville@theraconseil.com
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Laurence Heilbronn
01 53 70 74 64
lheilbronn@image7.fr
Tiphaine Hecketsweiler
01 53 70 74 70
thecketsweiler@image7.fr