Lugano, Switzerland, May 18, 2017 – Helsinn, the Swiss pharmaceutical Group focused on building quality cancer care products, today announces that Eric Cornut will join the Board of Helsinn Group as a Non-Executive Director.

Mr. Cornut has over 25 years of pharmaceutical management experience and was until end of April Interim Director General of The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), where previously he was Chairman of EFPIA’s executive committee for five years (2008-2013). He is currently a Member of the Supervisory Board at Stada AG.

Prior to this, Mr. Cornut spent over 20 years at Novartis AG where he concluded his career as Chief Ethics, Compliance and Policy Officer of Novartis where he led the Integrity & Compliance and the Public Affairs functions at the same time as serving as the Chairman of Novartis Group Japan. Previously, Mr. Cornut served as Chief Commercial Officer of Novartis Pharmaceuticals where he was responsible for Global Product Strategy and Commercialization including Medical Affairs, Pricing and Market Access, Health Economics and Outcomes Research as well as Business Development & Licensing. In this role Mr. Cornut transformed the organization to be more patient centric. Between 2007-2012, he led Pharma Region Europe for six years where he oversaw the operations of 35 countries with approximately 9,000 associates. Under Mr. Cornut’s leadership, his teams successfully launched 13 new products and achieved more than USD 7 billion in sales.

Mr. Cornut has a Doctoral degree in Law from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and a Master of Law degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in the United States.

Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, commented: “I welcome Mr. Eric Cornut to the Board of Helsinn Group and am confident he will help to drive our business forward as we aim to help even more patients with unmet needs worldwide. We are delighted to attract an experienced pharmaceutical executive of the caliber of Mr. Cornut and I look forward to leaning on his guidance as we continue our growth trajectory.

“At the same time as welcoming a new member of the Board, I would like to thank Mr. Franco De Vecchi for his many years of hard work and expert guidance. I wish Franco every success in his future endeavors.”

On his appointment, as Non-Executive Director at Helsinn Group, Eric Cornut, said, “I am very pleased and honoured to be joining the Board of Helsinn Group. I have watched Helsinn closely throughout my career and have always been impressed how this private, family business has continued to grow, and is now an international pharmaceutical company, whilst always retaining the values of integrity, respect and quality. I look forward to working with Riccardo and the wider Board to achieve the Group’s ambition of helping patients around the world.”

About the Helsinn Group

Helsinn is a privately owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a robust drug development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Switzerland, Ireland and the US, a representative office in China as well as a product presence in approximately 190 countries globally.

Please visit www.helsinn.com.

For more information please contact:

Helsinn Group

Paola Bonvicini
Group Head of Communication Lugano, Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21 email hidden; JavaScript is required