Inauguration of Bio-S: a symbol of our ambitions for the future

Our first biopharmaceutical production unit was officially inaugurated on Wednesday November 27, 2024, at our site in Gidy, France. A true symbol for our Group, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year: with this cutting-edge facility, we are more than ever embracing the future!

Bio-S Unit: innovation and expertise for clinical trials

Exceptional events call for exceptional measures. Several public figures joined Olivier Laureau in the morning for the official ceremony, at our Gidy site. Each delivered a speech in front of an audience of about a hundred guests and journalists.

After the ribbon-cutting, all attendees were invited to visit the Bio-S building. An immersive tour allowed everyone to discover, alongside engineers and expert technicians, the activities of our new bioproduction unit:

• Bioengineering, responsible for transferring manufacturing and purification processes developed by our Symphogen R&D platform;
• Biomanufacturing, which handles cell culture, extraction, and purification of the biological active ingredient, ensuring the quality of these clinical batches;
• Fill & Finish, responsible for the aseptic filling of the active ingredient into vials and syringes;
• Support Services, essential to ensure bioproduction of clinical batches that meet high standards of quality and performance.

These are all key areas of expertise required for the development of active ingredients derived from living cells, aimed at supporting our experimental clinical trials for the benefit of patients.

“Mastering bioproduction and manufacturing processes is truly a key success factor for the development of our R&D pipeline. Bio-S enables us to support our new strategic orientations in oncology, and soon in the field of neurology. This new unit perfectly complements our Clinical Supply Unit (CSU): by supplying it with injectable clinical batches, it provides the agility needed to deliver investigational medicines for Servier’s clinical trials worldwide, all from a single site.”

Olivier Laureau, President of Servier

Gidy teams in the spotlight

Because Bio-S is the result of a collective success, a more intimate ceremony was held in the afternoon for the Gidy teams (R&D and Industry), in the presence of Claude Bertrand, Executive Vice President R&D, Hani Friedman Bouganim, Executive Vice President Manufacturing, Quality and Supply Chain and the site directors.

“I’m delighted to see the realization of an ambitious project driven driven by our decision to invest in France and to invest along the entire R&D value chain. I am particularly proud of it, because the historic Gidy site supports the future of our Group. All this has been made possible thanks to the expertise and commitment of the site’s colleagues. You embody our ability to transform, while preserving Servier’s values and DNA, in the service of patients”

Olivier Russo, Global head of CMC (R&D)

To mark the occasion, nearly 300 employees were gathered to form a human Bio-S logo!