Fort Worth-Based Galderma Laboratories Pledges Additional $450,000 for Dermatology Program

FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Galderma Laboratories, L.P., part of a global pharmaceutical company exclusively focused on dermatology, has pledged $450,000 to help support the dermatology residency program at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. The pledge brings Galderma's support of the program to $900,000 since its inception. The dermatology residency program at Baylor Dallas was initiated by Galderma's initial gift in 2009 that provided the program's first two residents with funding for the three-year program.

"Supporting Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas offers an opportunity unique to Galderma," comments Francois Fournier, President of Galderma Laboratories L.P., headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. "It was an obvious decision as Galderma and Baylor are both leaders in their field and solidly anchored in North Texas, yet nationally renowned.

"This program will educate the next generation of dermatologists in North Texas. It is a concrete example of Galderma's strong support to the future of dermatology," explains Fournier. "Galderma invests approximately 19 percent of its sales each year to discovering and developing new products and accessing innovative technologies. We are committed to delivering innovative medical solutions to meet the dermatological needs of people throughout their lifetime while serving healthcare professionals. Supporting the residency program at Baylor is part of Galderma's overall mission."

Dermatology residency programs in the U.S. have been training roughly the same number of dermatologists for the past three decades, partly because of a federal cap on the number of medical residents that can be trained each year. Yet, the population – and its need for dermatological care – has grown. Medical students interested in dermatology face stiff competition when applying to dermatology residency programs. Only a fraction of applicants are accepted, and many qualified candidates are turned away because of a shortage of residency positions.

To help stem the dermatology residency shortage, Baylor Dallas launched a dermatology residency program in 2009, with the leadership of Alan Menter, M.D. and Dan McCoy, M.D., program directors for the residency program and physicians on the medical staff at Baylor.

The program provides a comprehensive three-year experience with opportunities for residents to learn how to provide quality care, participate in research and scientific publication. The program offers six residency training positions, with two residents selected each year to receive Galderma's funding. The cost of educating a dermatology resident is approximately $225,000 for the three-year program.

"Galderma's support of the dermatology residency program at Baylor allows us to continue providing exceptional medical education to future clinicians and to ensure that we are addressing our community's need for dermatological care," said Dr. Menter.

About Galderma

Galderma is a global pharmaceutical company founded in 1981 and exclusively focused on dermatology. The company has 31 wholly-owned affiliates with a worldwide network of distributors and 4,000 employees. Galderma's extensive product portfolio is available in 70 countries and treats a range of dermatological conditions including: acne, rosacea, onychomycosis, psoriasis & steroid-responsive dermatoses, pigmentary disorders, skin cancer and medical solutions for skin senescence. In 2011, Galderma acquired Q-Med, a Swedish medical device company specialized in aesthetics, strengthening Galderma's presence in the aesthetic and corrective market.

With approximately 19% of revenues invested each year to discover and develop new products and access innovative technologies, the company is one of the world's leading investors in dermatology R&D. Four state-of-the-art R&D centers, of which Sophia Antipolis in France is one of the largest dermatology sites in the world, and four manufacturing sites are dedicated to providing a wide range of innovative medical solutions which meet the highest standards of safety and efficacy. Strategic brands in the US include Epiduo®, Oracea®, Clobex®, Differin®, MetroGel®, Vectical®, and Cetaphil®. For more information, please visit www.galdermausa.com

About Baylor Health Care System

Baylor Health Care System is a not-for-profit, faith-based supporting organization providing services to a network of acute care hospitals and related health care entities that provide patient care, medical education, research and community service. Baylor recorded more than 2.8 million patient encounters, $4 billion in total operating revenue, $5.2 billion in total assets and $502 million in community benefit in fiscal year 2011 (as reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services).  Baylor's network of more than 300 access points includes 30 owned/operated/ ventured/affiliated hospitals; joint ventured ambulatory surgical centers; satellite outpatient locations; senior centers and more than 180 HealthTexas Provider Network physician clinics. For more information, visit BaylorHealth.com.

SOURCE Galderma Laboratories, L.P.