Launch of new, prestigious infertility and gynaecology research grant (FRIGGA) at “Update in Infertility 2008”
Update in Infertility Meeting, Cape Town, South Africa – 30 January, 2008 –
Ferring Pharmaceuticals today launches the first Ferring Research Infertility and Gynaecology GrAnt (FRIGGA) for fundamental fertility and gynaecology research. This is an international, themed, biennial initiative open to individual researchers or research units/departments with the first awarded research projects to be completed by January 2010.
The chairman of the Update in Infertility meeting, Professor Paul Devroey, Free University Brussels, will lead the international expert judging panel for FRIGGA. Two grants to the value of €50,000 each will be awarded with the announcement of first recipients of the awards at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) congress in Barcelona (6 – 9 July 2008). The deadline for the submission of grant applications is 30 April 2008.
The award is named after Frigga, the goddess of fertility, motherhood, love, family and home from Scandinavian mythology. This name encapsulates both the objective of infertility research and treatment – parenthood – and echoes the company’s Scandinavian roots. The theme for the 2008 award is fundamental research leading to an increased understanding of the role of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in assisted reproduction.
Speaking at the Update in Infertility 2008 meeting, Mr. Michel Pettigrew, Chief Operating Officer at Ferring said, “We are committed to taking the lead in the field of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and the launch of FRIGGA reflects this commitment. We look forward to innovative research carried out through the FRIGGA award that will increase our understanding of infertility and that in the future will help infertile couples around the world achieve their goal”.
In announcing the theme of the 2008 award, Paul Devroey, told the meeting “We have made great progress in the treatment of infertility in what is quite a short period of time for medicine. If, however, we are to meet the growing needs for treatment and the growing expectation of treatment standards, we need to progress much further. Further research is key to this progress. We know, for example, that hCG has great importance in the fertility process, but the exact role of this hormone still remains a mystery. The theme we have selected for the 2008 award is, therefore, fundamental research leading to an increased understanding of the role of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in assisted reproduction. I would like to thank Ferring for their commitment to the infertility field of medicine and for establishing the FRIGGA grant for research.”
For more information and a downloadable application form, please visit: www.ferringresearchgrant.com.
About Ferring Pharmaceuticals
Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a research-driven, specialty biopharmaceutical group active in global markets. The company identifies, develops and markets innovative products in the areas of fertility, obstetrics, urology, gastroenterology and endocrinology. Ferring’s fertility portfolio of treatments gives infertile couples the chance to have babies and includes its flagship brand MENOPUR®, a recognised high quality treatment for infertility. Ferring has operating subsidiaries in over 40 countries. To learn more about Ferring or our products please visit www.ferring.com.
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