Berlex Canada inaugurates new head office

Pointe-Claire, QC June 11, 2003 The president of Berlex Canada, Dr Gundolf Hoppe, officially inaugurated the company’s new head office in Montreal today, in nearby Pointe-Claire.

Active in Canada for 42 years, the Canadian affiliate of multinational pharmaceutical company Schering, based in Berlin, Germany, is undertaking a major expansion in Canada.

The new two-story facility, which was completed March 31, represents a C$10 million investment, and generates spin-offs for the company beyond economic considerations. “Beyond the concrete value of this investment and the jobs involved, our new head office provides an ideal environment for research on new drugs, and also for our quest for excellence," Dr Hoppe said at the opening. "This setting meets our needs and aspirations, and it enables us to focus on our mission: improving health and quality of life by developing and offering innovative products and services”.

"The inauguration of this new head office confirms Berlex Canada’s commitment to the Canadian scientific and pharmaceutical industry and especially to Canadians," says Murray Elston, president of Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies. "We are proud to have members, like Berlex, who are dedicated in discovering new medicines that will improve the quality of health care available for every Canadian."

Berlex Canada focusses its activities on women’s health products, specifically contraceptive, estrogen-replacement and acne treatment products. It also has a therapeutics portfolio, with recent launches of products for treating prostate cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. In 1992, the company launched a diagnostic-imaging segment, producing contrast agents for magnetic resonance, x-ray and ultrasound medical diagnosis.