Research and development spending increased markedly by 22% to € 1,074 million in 2008. This is equivalent to 22% of the division’s total revenues. Apart from oncology we are focusing our research activities on innovative specialist therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis as well as autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Here and in the therapeutic areas of Endocrinology and Fertility we are simultaneously working on numerous development projects, for example, therapies to help infertile couples to conceive a child as well as treatments for growth disorders.
Overall, around 2,300 employees are engaged in the discovery and development of new drugs – mainly in Darmstadt, Geneva and Boston. They are working in highly specialized fields at the interface of innovative biotechnology and established pharmaceutical science. We improved our efficiency, starting seven new development projects in 2008. In addition, we submitted three of our innovative compounds for approval. We received four new marketing authorizations. In order to streamline our research and development activities, we terminated ten projects at the pre-clinical or clinical stage in 2008. As a result, our R&D pipeline consisted of 12 Phase I projects, eight Phase II projects and 11 Phase III projects in 2008.
With the announced expansion of our U.S. research site in Billerica, Massachusetts in a planned $ 50 million investment, we will strengthen our biotech research and development activities in the United States. At the research center, which is scheduled to be completed by 2010, around 200 scientists, as well as 50 employees specializing in process development and protein production, will jointly discover and bring forward new treatments for unmet medical needs. The close proximity of protein production to research is expected to drive the rapid transition from research to manufacturing.
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