Incyte Targets Switzerland for a New Clinical Development HQ

April 14, 2015
By Krystle Vermes, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff

Delaware-based Incyte Corporation (INCY), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, announced on April 14 that it will be establishing a European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Incyte Europe S.a.r.l., as it has been titled, will conduct European clinical development operations. It will occupy approximately 9,000 square feet by mid-2015.

Herve Hoppenot, president and CEO of Incyte, noted that the new facility will also provide further support to its worldwide global drug development programs. At the time of this report, Incyte could not be reached for comment.

“Geneva is especially pleased to welcome a biotechnology leader such as Incyte to our city,” said, Pierre Maudet, minister of the Department of Security and Economy for the Republic and Canton of Geneva. “We are confident that Incyte will benefit from the international talent pool in Geneva and the surrounding region, and that the company’s presence will further enhance Geneva’s standing as an important hub in the biotechnology industry.”

Keeping an Eye on Switzerland
Incyte is not the first company to establish a presence in Switzerland. In fact, Roche (RHHBY) announced in October 2014 that it had started investing in a new site in Basel, which will eventually employ more than 1,900 people.

“Roche is committed long-term to Switzerland and to Basel in its dual role as corporate headquarters and one of our most important sites worldwide,” said Roche CEO Severin Schwan, at the time of the announcement. “The entire value chain is represented in Basel. Employees from all parts of the company are making a vital contribution to Roche’s innovative strength, and we want to provide them with an attractive work environment.”

In March 2015, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News released a list of the top 10 biopharma clusters in Europe. The countries that led the list included Germany, the U.K., France and the Netherlands. Switzerland ranked fifth on the list for its university research, as well as the presence of companies including Roche and Novartis AG (NVS). The country has also received 165 grants for research funding from the European Union.