the encyclopedic entry of Servier

Servier

Servier Laboratories is a privately owned French pharmaceutical company that specialises in medication for cardiological and rheumatological conditions, as well as for diabetes and clinical depression. The consolidated turnover for the 2005/2006 financial year was €3.5 billion. Servier is the leading French independent pharmaceutical company, and the second French pharmaceutical company worldwide. It has branches in 140 countries, with 82% of its sales being achieved internationally. The annual sales of its ACE inhibitor,Coversyl(perindopril)for past 2 consecutive years(2006 and 2007)exceeded US$1.0 bio thus making it Servier's first block-buster.

The company reports that almost 25% of its turnover is invested in research and development. It has 20 000 employees worldwide, of whom 3000 in research and development. 670 million drug boxes were produced for patients by the production sites in 2006.

The Servier Clinical Support Unit in Gidy (near Orleans) is the largest unit of its kind in Europe for the production of drugs for clinical trials.

Servier Laboratories is a full member of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).

Product portfolio

Notable products include the ACE inhibitor perindopril (Coversyl), osteoporosis agent strontium ranelate (Protelos), antidiabetic drug gliclazide (Diamicron)and (Diamicron MR) , diuretic antihypertensive indapamide (Fludex SR)or(Natrilex SR), antianginal drug ivabradine (Procoralan)and trimetazidine (Vastarel MR) and the antidepressant Tianeptine (Stablon) which is a unique serotonin reuptake enchancer (SSRE).

ARCALION	NATRILIX SR
ARTEX	PNEUMOREL
COVERSYL	PRETERAX - BIPRETERAX (perindopril with indapamide)
DAFLON 500	PROCORALAN
DIAMICRON MR	PROTELOS
DUXIL	PSEUDOPHAGE
GLUCIDORAL	STABLON
HYPERIUM	TRIVASTAL RETARD
LOCABIOTAL	VASTAREL MR
MEDIAXAL	VECTARION
MUPHORAN	VITATHION (vitamins)

Collaborative Research

In addition to internal research and development activities Servier is also involved in publicly funded collaborative research projects, with other industrial and academic partners. One example in the area of non-clinical safety assessment is the InnoMed PredTox. The company is expanding its activities in joint research projects within the framework of the Innovative Medicines Initiative of EFPIA and the European Commission.