Ipsen, a specialty biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, has inaugurated its new R&D center, Ipsen Bioscience, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for biomedical research & innovation. Ipsen’s strategic decision to invest in the Ipsen Bioscience facility in Cambridge is an important element of the company's open innovation strategy and its goal of broadening its partnerships with the US biotechnology, medical and scientific communities.

Ipsen Bioscience is developing differentiated peptide therapeutics in endocrinology and oncology. This work is supported by Ipsen's peptide and toxin expertise as well as its capabilities in manufacturing targeted secretion inhibitors (TSIs). The company is exploring the potential of peptides to modulate intracellular protein-protein interactions. The group also has a clinical research and development team, tasked with the coordination and carrying out of clinical research in North America.

Besides, its R&D center in the US, Ipsen also operates in North America. Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, the North American operations of Ipsen, which has offices located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals is focused on the commercialization and the medical and clinical support of y products in the areas of oncology, neurology and endocrinology.

In another development, Ispen has announced that it has signed a multi-year research alliance agreement with Harvard University to identify and develop collaborative programs in the areas of neuroendocrine tumors, neuromuscular disorders, and platform technologies related to toxins and peptides. The agreement builds upon the success of an existing, three-year program initiated in July 2013: supported by Ipsen, the Harvard laboratory of Dr. Min Dong is engineering novel recombinant botulinum toxin molecules that may improve upon the therapeutic characteristics of existing treatments for neuromuscular tremors and spasms.

Source: Ispen (Cambridge) and Ispen (Harvard University)