On March 21, representatives of patient associations were invited to preview Servier’s new Research and Development Institute in the Paris-Saclay ecosystem. This initiative is part of the “Au cœur des sites” (At the heart of production sites) operation organized by the G5 Santé, a consortium of the main French health care industries. It reflects the Group’s ambition to build a more open, dynamic and collaborative research environment to serve patient needs.
For the first time, in order to establish lasting dialogue with health care users, Servier opened the doors of its future R&D site in Paris-Saclay to representatives of five patient associations. This visit allowed them to discover the environment in which Servier researchers will operate every day in order to better respond to patients’ needs and expectations, when it opens in the summer of 2023.
Alongside Philippe Gonnard, Executive Vice President Global Medical & Patient Affairs and Bertrand Renaud, Chief Patient Officer, they were able to see how the Group’s R&D teams will be involved with patients daily.
They were able to see firsthand how the Group’s R&D teams will be working alongside them daily. This commitment is intended to be a collaboration with patients, and is evidenced by the working group that includes 18 patients set up recently to promote interaction with patient associations within the future Institute.
“Convinced that the benefits of a therapeutic solution are enhanced if they take into account all the dimensions of the patient journey, our Group is always seeking to work more with patients and to integrate their voice at every stage of the medicine life cycle,” said Philippe Gonnard, Executive Vice President Global Medical & Patient Affairs. He welcomed and accompanied the visitors throughout this day of discovery. He explained that patients and their families are healthcare stakeholders who must be listened to in order to improve health care pathways and provide appropriate therapeutic solutions, just like health care professionals and researchers.“
Paris-Saclay, a scientific center of excellence at the forefront of innovation
Paris-Saclay, an ecosystem for high-potential scientific and technological innovation, brings together key players in research and industry, along with leading start-ups. It is also a place of academic excellence, home to the École Polytechnique, the École Normale Supérieure, and the Université Paris-Saclay.
By 2023, 1,500 Servier employees will be reunited in this unique place for interdisciplinary innovation, ranked among the world’s top eight innovation hubs, which will enable the Group to meet the challenge of therapeutic progress to serve patient needs. They will join a scientific center of excellence that will be the center of nearly 25% of all French scientific research in just a few years’ time.
A working group of 18 patients was recently formed to promote interaction with patient associations within the future Institute.