300 Years of Leadership and Innovation was produced in partnership by the History of Parliament Trust and publisher St James’s House. As part of ongoing work with the Parliament Trust, Ipsen’s UK & Ireland Head of Corporate Affairs, Dr. Ian Weatherhead, had the opportunity to contribute to the publication – highlighting Ipsen’s innovation focused business ethos and patient centred approach to treatment delivery.
Read the article published in the Parliamentary Trust Book in September 2021 below.
“Working within the UK ecosystem, with scientists, healthcare professionals, payers and policy makers, we seek to drive medical innovation and make a real difference for patients.” Dr Ian Weatherhead, Ipsen.
“At Ipsen, our mantra is ‘working with patients, for patients’, seeking to bring value through better patient outcomes”, says Ian Weatherhead, Head of Corporate Affairs UK & Ireland, for the global biopharmaceutical company Ipsen, which specialises in finding treatments for cancer, rare diseases and neurological conditions. “We understand that patients don’t have time to wait for treatment. Innovating to deliver improved patient care is what drives us, and patients are key stakeholders, from the start of the research and development (R&D) process, shaping our thinking, taking part in advisory boards and supporting the design of clinical trials.”
A global company, with hubs in the UK, Paris and in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ipsen has operated in the UK for 40 years, where it employs 750 staff across its sites in Oxford, Slough and Wrexham. “Our UK operations span the full bench-to-bedside spectrum – from early research through to manufacturing and commercial activities,” says Weatherhead. “We work with scientists, healthcare professionals, payers and policy makers to drive medical innovation and make a real difference for patients.” The company has forged close ties with the NHS. Ipsen has worked in partnership with the UK government in medicine development and continues to contribute royalties from product sales to Public Health England – a sum in excess of £31 million in 2019.
Ipsen prioritises innovation across its business, from R&D and manufacturing, through to digital initiatives and device development. Products in the pipeline include further therapies for the treatment of selected cancers, neurological conditions, and experimental medicines to treat orphan diseases. Every year, over 15 per cent of Ipsen’s revenue is invested back into research and development.
Ipsen strives to bring new innovation to the NHS and patients, both through investment in innovative delivery devices, and through the ways that medicines are brought to patients, supporting increased homecare and self-administration of treatment. “This patient-centred approach to both devices, and how and where medicines are delivered, enables patients to have more control of their disease by supporting self or partner injection, potentially requiring fewer hospital visits”, says Weatherhead. “This is just one example of the innovation we are bringing to patient care.”