Seqirus Commemorates 100 Years of Parent Company, CSL, Delivering on its Promise to Develop Innovative Therapies
MAIDENHEAD, United Kingdom, April 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Seqirus today commemorated with parent company, CSL Limited, 100 years of developing and delivering innovative therapies, including influenza vaccines and treatments that protect and save lives of people with serious and chronic medical conditions. To mark this milestone, CSL announced a A$25 million R&D Fellowship program for early stage and translational research.
In 1916, the Australian government established Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL), in Melbourne to ensure the people of Australia had their own supply of important medicines. Since then, CSL has grown into a global biotherapeutics leader with a unique combination of R&D focus, operational excellence and commercial strength in two core businesses — protein therapeutics (CSL Behring), and influenza vaccines and other biologics (Seqirus).
"While much has changed at CSL since 1916, one thing has not: Our focus on patients," said Paul Perreault, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of CSL. "We have earned a reputation over the years as a passionate yet responsible organization driven by our promise to care for the people who rely on our innovative biotherapies. The future has never been brighter for our organization, our people and our patients."
CSL has a long history with influenza, starting with protecting Australians from the Spanish Flu during World War I. In August 2015, CSL completed the acquisition of Novartis' influenza vaccine business, and integrated it with its subsidiary, bioCSL, to create Seqirus, the second largest influenza vaccine business in the US$4 billion global industry with major manufacturing plants in the US, UK, Germany and Australia, a commercial presence in approximately 20 countries, a differentiated product portfolio and strong pandemic and pre-pandemic franchises.
Today, CSL provides life-saving biotherapies to people in more than 60 countries and is well positioned to continue delivering emerging innovations to patients around the world. This includes novel recombinant therapies to treat hemophilia; an investigational compound being studied in acute coronary syndrome to prevent early recurrent events following a heart attack; and exciting new advances in influenza vaccines.
CSL has evolved from a company that largely brought international discoveries to Australians, to a company which translates its own early research into commercial medicines for patients around the globe. In 1994, CSL spent less than US$20 million on R&D. In 2016 it will spend close to US$600 million.
"We look forward to engaging with patients, colleagues, research professionals, academics, physicians, scientists and governments across the globe as we celebrate our birthday and the importance and promise of innovation and medical research" said Paul Perreault. The new R&D Fellowship for early stage and translational research will be awarded to outstanding researchers seeking to undertake medical research in academic institutions based in Australia. Two five-year fellowships will be awarded each calendar year, for 10 years.
Globally, CSL employs 16,000 people driven by a deep passion and commitment to serve thousands of patients who depend on the company to live their lives to the fullest. CSL has eight manufacturing sites on three continents and operates one of the world's largest and most efficient plasma collection networks with more than 130 centers in the US. CSL's global R&D hub is based in Melbourne, Australia.
"CSL may be one hundred years old but we are just getting started." View a detailed timeline here and visit our centenary microsite (live from 25th April) here: https://www.csl100.com.au
About Seqirus
Seqirus is the new global company created in July 2015 from the combined strength and expertise of bioCSL Inc. and the influenza vaccines business formerly owned by Novartis AG. As the second largest influenza vaccine provider in the world, Seqirus is driven by the promise it shares with parent company, CSL Limited, to provide medicines that help to protect and save lives.
Seqirus, whose Corporate Office is located in Maidenhead (UK), is a transcontinental partner in pandemic preparedness and a major contributor to the prevention and control of influenza globally, with extensive research and production expertise and manufacturing plants in the US, Europe and Australia and a commercial presence in 20 countries.
Seqirus is part of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL), headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The Group employs more than 16,000 people with operations in more than 30 countries.
For more information visit www.seqirus.com and www.csl.com.
Media Contact
Monica Galimberti
Seqirus, Global Communications
Phone: +39 335 7440521
monica.galimberti@seqirus.com
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