Debiopharm is to build a new Innovation building dedicated to research and development at its Valais site in Martigny. The Lausanne-based biopharmaceutical group will invest CHF 30 million in the project, which is expected to create around 30 new jobs.
“We’re investing substantial resources in developing targeted treatments for oncology, a strategic direction that complements our research into new antibiotics,” says Thierry Mauvernay, Chairman and CEO of Debiopharm. The works are scheduled to last two years, during which a further 20 million euros will be invested on the site for further infrastructure upgrades.
In this new building, the eighth on the site, the focus will be on developing a new targeted mode of action that attacks only cancer cells, while preserving healthy tissue. Two new anti-cancer technologies developed in Valais – one in-house, the other in partnership with the HES-SO Valais-Wallis – could be applied in clinical trials as early as next year.
The extension will also be used to develop future collaborations with the university, whose new research mandate, funded by Debiopharm to the tune of 1.1 million francs, was announced at the beginning of October. The 2,400 m2 building will complement the pharmaceutical group’s existing infrastructure in Martigny, which also includes a production line.
Debiopharm, which invests over 90% of its revenues in innovation and research, is best known for having developed two drugs against prostate and colon cancer. The company currently employs around 200 people in Martigny.
