Ferring allies with Elsevier and IFFS on fertility education

Ferring Pharmaceuticals has announced a new collaboration with Elsevier and the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) to conduct an educational programme focusing on fertility issues.

Announced at the 2012 Updates in Infertility Treatment (UIT) meeting, the scheme will see Ferring provide more than one million euros (839.4 million pounds) to support the initiative, which will be aimed at promoting access to infertility/reproductive health educational resources.

The scheme is intended for educational and scientific purposes and will not be directly related to any Ferring product, prioritising the need to assist patients in underserved and less developed parts of the world.

Through Ferring's funding, the IFFS will be able to expand the reach of scientific expertise shared at meetings such as the UIT, which has been taking place biennially since 1994.

Michel Pettigrew, president of the executive board and chief operating officer of Ferring, said: "This IFFS funding and ongoing support underscores our continuing commitment to leadership in assisted reproductive technology."

Last October, the company expanded its expertise in the area of reproduction through the acquisition of Cytokine PharmaSciences and its UK subsidiary Controlled Therapeutics (Scotland).