Ipsen is a French biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, with a focus on drug development and commercialization in three therapeutic areas: oncology, rare diseases and neuroscience.

[8] In 1986, the group launched Decapeptyl,[7] used to treat certain pathologies influenced by sex hormones, such as prostate cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and early puberty.

In 1994, the group launched Dysport (type A botulinum toxin for the treatment of muscle spasms) after acquiring the British company Speywood (then called Porton International).

In 2014, the company participated in the creation of a joint laboratory with the CNRS – Archi-Pex -, the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives and the University of Rennes1, with the aim of designing and developing hormone peptides.

[13] In 2016, Ipsen licensed cabozantinib from Exelixis, which received marketing authorization the same year for the second-line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma.

In February 2022, Ipsen announced the proposed sale of the Consumer HealthCare (CHC) division after entering into exclusive negotiations with the French laboratory Mayoly Spindler.

In August 2022, Ipsen successfully completed the acquisition of Epizyme and its lead medicine, Tazverik® (tazemetostat), a first-in-class, chemotherapy-free EZH2a inhibitor for adults with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL), which was granted Accelerated Approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020.

In January 2023, Ipsen announced it would acquire rare disease specialist Albireo for $952m, bringing into its portfolio Bylvay (odevixibat), a non-systemic ileal bile acid transport inhibitor for the treatment of paediatric patients with pruritus in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC).

[19][20] In August 2023, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Sohonos for the treatment of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), a rare genetic connective tissue disease that causes progressive loss of mobility and shortened life expectancy, in adults and children.

[21] In February 2024, Ipsen received FDA approval for Onivyde (irinotecan liposome injection), which is used in combination with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin (NALIRIFOX) for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC).

[22] In June 2024, Ipsen received accelerated approval from the US FDA for Iqirvo elafibranor based on positive Phase III ELATIVE trial data.

Onivyde[29] (irinotecan liposome injection) is prescribed in combination with fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV), for the treatment of patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas after disease progression following gemcitabine-based therapy.

Sohonos[30] (palovarotene) is an oral investigational, selective retinoic-acid receptor gamma (RARγ) agonist being developed as a potential treatment for people living with the debilitating ultra-rare genetic disorder fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

[8] It has contributed to numerous major advances in biological and medical research, organized scientific conferences, and produced literature and content to help patients and the wider community understand rare diseases.

Since 2007, Fondation Ipsen has initiated several series of meetings in partnership with the Salk Institute, the Karolinska Institutet, the Massachusetts General Hospital, the DMMGF (Days of Molecular Medicine Global Foundation), as well as with the journals Nature, Cell and Science.