2019 RESPONSIBILITY HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - Vifor Pharma

Vifor Pharma Ltd. 2019 Responsibility Highlights Report

RESPONSIBILITY HIGHLIGHTS REPORT

2019

https://www.viforpharma.com

Vifor Pharma Ltd. 2019 Responsibility Highlights Report 3

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Our commitment 4

Vifor Pharma group at a glance 5

4

A P P E N D I X

Social 53

Environment 54

53

O U T L O O K

52

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

Our responsibility approach 6

Managing our responsibilities 8

Material areas 9

6

I N T E G R I T Y

Business behaviour 11

Transparency 15

10

PAT I E N T S

Patient needs & support 19

Access to healthcare 24

18

Employee potential 27

E M P L O Y E E S26

E N V I R O N M E N T

Resource efficiency 38

Minimisation of emissions 41

36

C O M M U N I T Y

Social engagement 45

Science & health knowledge 49

44

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Workplace & well-being 32

Vifor Pharma Ltd. 2019 Responsibility Highlights Report

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

The importance of Corporate Responsibility has perhaps never felt greater. As we were reviewing our last year’s progress as a responsible business in the early part of 2020, the world was dealing with health and economic challenges on an unprecedented scale.

The experience of COVID-19, which has touched so many of the countries in which we operate, has underlined the significance of the five pillars around which we structure our approach to responsibility: conducting business with integrity; focusing on patients; valuing our employees; caring about the environment; engaging with our community.

STEFAN SCHULZE Chief Executive Officer

Sincerely,

OUR COMMITMENT

As a leading international pharmaceutical company, dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of people around the world, these pillars help us to stay focused in such challenging times.

The advances we made in 2019 put us in a strong position to develop on our commitment towards our corporate responsibilities and to respond more effectively to challenges such as the COVID-19 situation in 2020. We aspired to the highest ethical standards and transparency in our dealings with all stakeholders. We further increased the focus of patients’ own experience in our decision-making, including the establishment of a dedicated Vifor Pharma Patient Academy. We continued to attract and retain the best talent in our industry by providing fulfilling careers, constant skill development and promotion of a proper work-life balance. We nurtured our environment by taking practical steps to reduce and mitigate the burden we place on the planet. And we engaged enthusiastically with the communities in which we operate and promoted scientific knowledge that can benefit humanity.

During 2019, we again delivered strong, profitable growth and moved closer to our goal of global leadership in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardiorenal therapies. We know that acting as a responsible and sustainable business is the key to our success, enabling us to continue to meet the needs of the patients who trust and depend on us.

GO TO START

5 Vifor Pharma Ltd. 2019 Responsibility Highlights Report

G R O U P S T R U C T U R E

AUSTRALIA

CANADAUSA

UAESAUDI ARABIA

UKIRELAND

NETHERLANDS BELGIUMFRANCE

SPAIN PORTUGAL*

SWEDENGERMANYAUSTRIAITALYROMANIASWITZERLAND*

PERU ARGENTINA

* Production sites

RUSSIA

CHINAJAPANKOREA

L O C AT I O N S A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

SINGAPORE

Vifor Pharma Group is a global specialty pharma-ceuticals company. It aims to become the global leader in iron deficiency, nephrology and cardiorenal therapies. The company is the partner of choice for pharmaceuticals and innovative patient- focused solutions.

Vifor Pharma Group strives to help patients around the world with severe and chronic diseases lead better, healthier lives. The company develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products for precision patient care.

The company had almost 2,800 employees at the end of 2019. Vifor Pharma products are marketed in more than 100 countries through a dynamic network of affiliates and partners over the world. Vifor Pharma Group consists of the following companies: Vifor Pharma; Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (a joint company with Fresenius Medical Care); and OM Pharma.

VIFOR PHARMA GROUP AT A GLANCE

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https://www.viforpharma.com/en/about-vifor-pharma/vfmcrp

https://www.viforpharma.com/

https://www.ompharma.com/

https://www.viforpharma.com/

Vifor Pharma Ltd. 2019 Responsibility Highlights Report6

RESPONSIBILITY


Our dedicated Corporate Responsibility approach is structured around five pillars, allowing us to take a holistic view and to address our responsibilities practically and efficiently, while being conscious of stakeholders’ expectations. It’s a fit-for-purpose structure applicable to the whole organisation, linking numerous roles, functions, locations and work streams.

Being a pharmaceutical company with global reach, our approach to Corporate Responsibility serves as a response to global challenges and stakeholder expectations, and it supports our aim to contribute to a better future. We recognise and actively manage our responsibilities towards the environment and society at large.

In 2019, we continued to focus on having a positive impact on our stakeholders and the communities we operate in. We are convinced that this supports our long-term success as a company.

O U R A P P R O A C H T O W A R D S C O R P O R AT E R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

We conduct business with INTEGRITY

We focus on PATIENTS

We value our EMPLOYEES

We care about the ENVIRONMENT

We engage with our COMMUNITY

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7

TRANS-PARENCY

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

SCIENCE& HEALTH

KNOWLEDGE

PATIENTNEEDS &SUPPORT

ACCESS TOHEALTHCARERESOURCE

EFFICIENCY

MINIMI-SATION OFEMISSIONS

WORKPLACE& WELL-BEING

EMPLOYEE POTENTIAL

BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR

FOCUS AREA

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VIFOR PHARMA RELEVANCE

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VIFOR PHARMA RELEVANCEVIFOR PHARMA RELEVANCE

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STAKEHOLDER RELEVANCESTAKEHOLDER RELEVANCE

STAKEHOLDER RELEVANCE

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FOCUS AREA

Informed stakeholders

Better and healthier patient lives

Adequate treatment for underserved

patients

Attractive job and developmentopportunities

Safe, healthyand pleasant

workplaces

Protectedresources

Mitigatedclimate change

Strengthenedcommunities

and aid

Fair business and competition

Ethical business improves corporate culture, reputation and helps prevent legal disputes

INTEGRITYCOMMUNITY

PATIENTSENVIRONMENT

EMPLOYEES

Promoting scienceand health knowledgehelps the acceptance of

our business and enhances visibility

Transparencybuilds trust amongstakeholders and

fosters integrity whenworking with third

parties

Better access tohealthcare creates

opportunities toreach morepatients and

to driveinnovation

Efficient use ofresources reduces

both waste andcosts

Minimising emissionshelps prevent

negative effectsof climate changeand reputational

damage

Social engagementbuilds community

trust, enhances ourreputation and

motivates employees

A skilled and diverseworkforce fostersinnovation and improvesbusiness performance

A healthy and motivatedworkforce improves

performance and leads tobetter retention rates

Engaging with patients helps us to

understand their health needs and improve patient

solutions

Educated andinformed society


D R I V I N G A M O R E S U S TA I N A B L E B U S I N E S S

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RESPONSIBILITY

Our approach is guided by standard frameworks, such as the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Within the Responsibility Pillars, we address the principles of the UNGC regarding human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anti- corruption. Likewise, our approach lays the foundations for our contribution to achieving the universal goals of better health and well-being, environmental sustainability and strengthened societies, as reflected by the SDG. In particular, as a producer and supplier of medicines, it is part of our core identity to serve patients around the world and contribute to good health and well- being, as described under SDG 3.

G O V E R N I N G A N D M A N A G I N G O U R C O R P O R AT E R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y

The strategic and structural decisions related to Corporate Responsibility are taken at the most senior level. The Board of Director’s Governance, Nomination and Sustainability Committee ensures that considerations related to environmental, social and corporate sustainability are fully integrated into the decision-making processes on business strategy, key investments and performance. The Executive Committee approves both the measures and operational structure related to Corporate Responsibility.

Vifor Pharma’s interdisciplinary Responsibility Committee oversees and coordinates the relevant activities, together with the publication of related information and data. It consists of senior management and experts in the relevant fields. Vifor Pharma’s General Secretary and Chief Human Resources Officer supervise the commit-tee, ensuring a direct link to the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.

Responsibility Ambassadors in each of Vifor Pharma Group’s national affiliates and production sites ensure that Corporate Responsibility principles are embedded in local organisations, and information about local activities and achieve-ments are gathered and reported.

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https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

https://www.unglobalcompact.org/


I D E N T I F Y I N G M AT E R I A L A R E A S

In our materiality assessment, we identify the most relevant topics for business success as well as stakeholder interests. This allows us to prioritise and further develop our Corporate Responsibility approach, and to adapt measures, objectives and communications about non-financial information accordingly. It lets us focus on areas that may have the greatest impact, and to effectively track these areas in view of emerging challenges and opportunities.

Following the global “green wave”, the environ-mental focus areas were attributed greater importance compared to the previous year. While the focus on patients’ needs & support declined slightly in the appraisal, access to healthcare gained in importance, becoming the second most material area of focus. Being viewed as a favourable workplace gained in importance from an external perspective, while social engagement was seen as less central to Vifor Pharma.

The materiality mix is based on the assessment of the members of the Responsibility Committee. With several changes to the Committee’s compo-sition and as a response to the shifting landscape of global challenges and stakeholders’ expecta-tions, we made some adjustments to the material-ity map in 2019 compared to previous year. These adjustments were made according to a re-assess-ment of the focus areas, and a new setting of priorities by the Committee members.

Relevance for Vifor Pharma

low

low

medium

high

very high

medium high very high

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Minimisation of Emissions

Science & Health Knowledge

Resource Efficiency

Employee DevelopmentWorkplace & Wellbeing

Access to Healthcare

Transparency

Business Behaviour

Social Engagement

Patients Needs & Support

V I F O R P H A R M A R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y – M AT E R I A L I T Y M I X

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INTEGRITY W E C O N D U C T B U S I N E S S W I T H I N T E G R I T Y

Integrity and ethical behaviour are essential to us. We respect the rights of our stakeholders, particularly patients and our employees. We foster trust through openness and transparency.

Conducting business in an ethical manner leads to fairness and encourages healthy competition, while enabling us to achieve our full potential as a company. It improves corporate culture, enhances our reputation, helps prevent legal disputes and meet the needs and requirements of our stakeholders. Openness and transparency about our business-related engagements helps our stakeholders to make informed decisions. By sharing relevant information, we also seek to build trust and foster integrity.

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Integrity and ethical behaviour are essential to Vifor Pharma. As a pharmaceutical company, we are subject to both strict regulations and to expectations of correct behaviour. We rely on a strong compliance culture throughout the organisation to safeguard our company’s license to operate and to have a positive impact on our business practices.

The Vifor Pharma Group ‘Code of Conduct and Business Ethics‘ sets out the key expectations regarding ethical business behaviour. It provides guidelines for ethical conduct based on our values and applies to everyone at Vifor Pharma. We act in good faith, respect applicable laws, regulations, and industry codes, and actively fight misconduct. All employees at Vifor Pharma are expected to identify risks of unethical behaviour within their area of responsibility, and take appropriate measures to avoid them.

Our employees are regularly trained on compli-ance matters and expected to report suspected violations. A “speak-up” hotline gives employees a safe, anonymous, round-the-clock and multi- language platform to voice concerns. In addition,

an internal misconduct reporting policy outlines the process employees are expected to follow in cases of suspected misconduct, and sets out the principle of anti-retaliation. A company-wide compliance network oversees the compliance processes and training implemented across the organisation.

In 2019, we introduced monitoring measures on local anti-corruption guidelines and expanded our company-wide compliance organisation. We also issued new guidelines for gathering competitive insights, providing a framework for the appropriate acquisition and use of intellectual property rights, confidential information or third party data.

We rely on a strong compliance culture throughout the organisation.

BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR

C O M P L I A N C E C U LT U R E

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At Vifor Pharma, we do not tolerate bribery and corruption. Our products are sold in more than 100 countries. Most of these countries have established anti-corruption laws and industry codes in place, prohibiting bribes or kickbacks. Not abiding by these rules could pose serious risks of reputational and financial damage to the company. To safeguard our business and our stakeholders’ interests, it is of great importance to provide our employees with appropriate training, guidance and processes.

At Vifor Pharma, data privacy is recognised as a fundamental aspect of respect for patients, employees and other individuals with whom we interact. In the course of our business activities, we may obtain personal information about patients, employees, business partners and healthcare professionals. We are committed to ensuring appropriate protection of such data and the rights of the people concerned. Concurrently, we believe that scientific innovation may benefit significantly from the use of data, opening new opportunities for medicinal therapeutic solutions and our business at large.

To secure trust in our conduct with personal data, it is vital to have an adequate data privacy framework in place, and protect the integrity of personal information held by Vifor Pharma. We follow all applicable laws and regulations related to data privacy. The Group Data Protection Officer

Vifor Pharma’s ‘Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Directive‘ sets a global standard on how we conduct business. The Directive applies to all employees of the company, and all employees are regularly trained on its provisions. National guidelines specify the Directive, taking into consideration local circumstances and regulations.

The company’s ‘Third Party Engagement, Training, Monitoring & Auditing Procedure‘ describes the process for the evaluation, establishment and management of relationships with third parties. The procedure supports us in ensuring that suppliers, such as suppliers of material, services providers, contract manufacturers, or consultants, comply with applicable anti-corruption laws and regulations in the countries in which Vifor Pharma operates.

(DPO), reporting directly to the General Secretary, oversees compliance with our data privacy policies and procedures, and supports the organisation to implement privacy measures in its day-to-day activities. Employees receive regular data privacy training.

In 2019 we continued our data privacy training for all employees as well as our compliance monitor-ing activities. We developed aids to help project leaders understand privacy requirements, and streamlined certain privacy compliance processes.

A N T I - B R I B E R Y, A N T I - C O R R U P T I O N

D ATA P R I VA C Y

Data privacy is recognised as a fundamental aspect of respect.

INTEGRITY / BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR

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RED ROMEROR E G I O N A L D I R E C T O R L E G A L A N D C O M P L I A N C E A S I A – S I N G A P O R E

The Asia Pacific region is becoming increasingly important for Vifor Pharma. So making sure everyone has the right mind-set when it comes to integrity and is aware of what to look out for really matters. Appropriate training is crucial – both externally for partners and internally for our own employees.

Internally, the “speak up” culture is very important. Employees need to take their duty to report concerns seriously. To encourage this, we look at examples of how other companies get into trouble. It's eye opening, and employees can see the “why” behind our policies and procedures.

Externally, the initial focus is on due diligence and compliance training for third parties, especially partners and distributors selling and promoting our products. In some cases, that might include checking if their data privacy systems are appro-priate and secure. Our priority is to make sure we’re aware of any compliance risks or potential conflicts of interest.

In recent years, the environment around compliance in the region has improved. Many companies we engage with are familiar with our requirements, when three or four years ago they might have said

T E S T I M O N I A L

“why do we need to do all this?” The younger generation of doctors are also helping the drive for greater compliance in many countries.

For partners, education and alignment is impor-tant. I frequently use video-conferencing for training, which allows them to ask questions and become more comfortable reaching out to us afterwards. This helps us identify risks proactively.

What’s especially helpful from a compliance perspective is that Vifor Pharma is an organisation with a rather flat hierarchy. It’s agile and decisions can be taken quickly. Our business leaders all speak the same language on compliance.

Employees need to take their duty to report concerns seriously.”

“

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INTEGRITY / BUSINESS BEHAVIOUR

As a global pharmaceutical company and employ-er, we recognise our responsibility to uphold human rights and to ensure that they are not compromised by our global business activities. Within our sphere of influence, we consider it an implicit and inherent duty to ensure human rights are respected.

We are committed to supporting and protecting human rights in their generally accepted form, as well as to ensuring that necessary steps are taken to prevent any form of human rights violation in our organisation. We further respect established labour rights, the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

At Vifor Pharma Group, we follow the generally accepted ethical standards for the protection of human rights and the prohibition of child or forced labour, human trafficking or modern slavery. Our ‘UK Modern Slavery Statement‘ sets forth our commitment to fight modern slavery in all its forms and to ensure that necessary steps are taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking from occurring in our supply chain or anywhere in our organisation. We make all our employees and suppliers aware of this important topic. To ensure that they uphold our principles on human rights, our employees are encouraged to report any incident relating to potential human rights violations so that appropriate action can be taken.

In 2019, we reviewed the company’s approach towards human rights, and initiated a human rights base analysis. Results are expected in 2020.

We strive to work with responsible suppliers, as we believe this is vital for our long-term business performance and crucial to being able to provide high-quality therapies to patients. Recognising that our impact goes beyond the boundaries of our own operations, our suppliers may also affect the communities and environment in which they operate. It is therefore important that they address considerations in areas such as ethical business behaviour, labour conditions, human rights and the environment.

As stated in our Suppliers Code of Conduct, we encourage our suppliers to join our efforts towards sustainable development and request them to adhere to well-established principles of responsible business as stated therein. We especially expect our suppliers to follow compa-rable standards as outlined in our Environmental Policy, our Health & Safety at Work Policy and our Modern Slavery Statement.

S U P P L I E R M A N A G E M E N T

R E S P E C T F O R H U M A N R I G H T S

We recognise our responsibility to uphold human rights.

We strive to work with responsible suppliers.

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F O C U S A R E A

TRANSPARENCY

Exchanging information and best practice with healthcare professionals and organisations on innovative treatments drives better healthcare and patient outcomes. Done in a non-transparent way, such exchanges may lead to the loss of stakeholder trust or increased regulatory scrutiny. We are therefore committed to transparency and a systematic approach in relation to such colla- borations. We are convinced that this also has an important effect on contributions and partner-ships, essentially fostering integrity.

D I S C L O S U R E O F T R A N S F E R O F VA L U E

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We continue to enhance and standardise our trans-parency processes.

At Vifor Pharma, pertinent payments and contri-butions to healthcare professionals and organisa-tions are disclosed according to applicable national laws, such as the US Payments Sunshine Act, and relevant regulations, for example the Code of the European Federation of Pharma- ceutical Industries (EFPIA). More information can be found on our corporate website.

To ensure greater transparency, Vifor Pharma supports the disclosure of payments and contri-butions at an individual level. In respect of applicable privacy laws and data protection provi-sions, we collect prior consent from recipients, before disclosing any transfer of value. To make the disclosures more meaningful and to further enhance transparency, our aim is to maximise these consent rates.

In 2019, we continued to enhance and standardise our transparency processes with the roll-out of written procedures to all reporting entities. We implemented a new consent management process and improved master data governance. These initiatives are aimed at maximising consent rates and further increasing the quality of reportable data.

P E R C E N TA G E O F I N D I V I D U A L D I S C L O S U R E O F H C P S A N D H C O S B Y V A L U E 1:

89.3%80.4% 88.8%2017

1 Proportion, by value, of payments to healthcare professionals and organisations that were disclosed on individual level for countries in which

the Vifor Pharma Group makes transparency disclosures (except Australia, due to a different disclosure cycle).

2019 data not available at time of print.

2016 2018

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INTEGRITY / TRANSPARENCY

C L I N I C A L T R I A L R E S U LT S D ATA

Clinical research is fundamental to creating safe, effective medicines and maintaining our credibility with stakeholders. Being a science-driven pharma-ceutical company, we believe it is important to be open to sharing research data in order to contribute to the continuous increase of knowledge.

Vifor Pharma is committed to sharing and exchanging relevant information and best practice as well as to publishing information on our clinical research. It is registered and reported using publi- cly accessible websites, sponsored and endorsed by regulatory authorities, such as ClinicalTrials.gov in the US and the EU Clinical Trials Register in Europe.

Upon request and following specific criteria, we provide academic researchers with access to clinical trial data. We do so by following the ‘Principles for Responsible Clinical Trial Data Sharing’ issued by the relevant European and US pharmaceutical industry bodies.

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At Vifor Pharma, we believe it is important to encourage the development of sound public policy to serve our stakeholders, particularly patients, but also society at large. We follow political discussions relevant to health, the pharmaceutical industry and our business, and may selectively provide input using our expertise. Being open about such engagements matters to us, as we want to be perceived as a trustworthy stakehold-er in the public policy discourse.

Vifor Pharma supports advocacy for a favourable and sustainable business environment, as well as public policies that expand and speed up access to high quality healthcare. We have established internal standards for political engagement to ensure that any politically-relevant activities are aligned with the best interests of the company and our stakeholders. We are registered under the EU Transparency Register, a database of stakeholder groups that engage directly with EU institutions on policy issues.

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We are registered under the EU Transparency Register.

We are a member of a number of trade associa-tions that advocate on behalf of the pharmaceuti-cal industry and for the policy positions we commonly share and support. Our trade associa-tion memberships in 2019 included:

— European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations, EFPIA

— EUCOPE, The European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs

— SwissHoldings, the Federation of Swiss-based multinational enterprises

— scienceindustries, the Swiss business association for the chemistry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries

— Various national pharmaceutical industry bodies

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PATIENTSW E F O C U S O N PAT I E N T S

At Vifor Pharma, everything starts with the patient. By understanding their needs, we can help them live better and healthier lives. With improved access to healthcare, more patients can benefit.

We aim to incorporate the patient voice through the entire lifecycle of our products, from R&D to patient access, disease awareness and patient support programmes. This allows us to better understand patients’ needs, and develop and offer improved therapies. We offer tailored support to patients and caregivers, helping them lead better lives. Improved access to healthcare enables underserved patients to receive adequate treatment. It also creates opportunities to reach more patients and to drive innovation.

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We engage with patients to learn directly from their experience

At Vifor Pharma, we seek to understand patients’ needs and listen carefully to their experience. It is important to understand how we can provide meaningful support to patients and develop solutions that will make a difference. Active patient engagement is of particular importance in the development phase of a new product, as it can help to address specific challenges. This is essential to help ensure we can develop therapeutic solutions that best meet patients’ needs and bring the greatest benefit to them.

Collaboration usually takes place through professional patient organisations. Dependent on national laws and regulations, we may also engage with individual patient experts, depend-ing on the expertise required. We have established internal standards to ensure patient engagement is ethical, transparent, and based on a legitimate need. Our collaboration with patients and patient groups is in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and industry codes. To standardise the remuneration of patients and patient organi-

E N G A G I N G T H E PAT I E N T

sation representatives who offer time and share their experience and insights with us, we adopted the Patient Remuneration Principles in 2019. These principles were developed by the European industry body (EFPIA) and numerous European patient organisations.

In 2019, we were pleased to proactively tailor an early-stage clinical trial programme for a compound to treat Beta Thalassemia – an inherited blood disorder – after receiving patient input. Through a Vifor Pharma Patient Advisory Board we reviewed our clinical programme with the Thalassemia International Federation and patient representa-tives from six countries.

F O C U S A R E A

PATIENT NEEDS & SUPPORT

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2 0 19 PAT I E N T A D V I S O R Y B O A R D ( T H A L A S S E M I A )

THALASSEMIA PATIENT EXPERTS FROM COUNTRIES

5 JUNE 2019

THOUSAND WITH A SEVERE HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDER

BIRTHS EACH YEAR

1st VIFOR PHARMA PATIENT ADVISORY BOARD ON BETA-THALASSEMIA

WORLD POPULATION WITH A SEVERE HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDER, INCL. THALASSAEMIAAPPROX.

W E L I S T E N T O T H E PAT I E N T V O I C E A L O N G T H E E N T I R E

L I F E C Y C L E O F O U R P R O D U C T S

CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT

DISEASE AWARENESS

PATIENT SUPPORTPROGRAMS

PATIENTACCESS

We seek to under-stand patients’ needs and listen carefully to their experience.

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PATIENTS / PATIENT NEEDS & SUPPORT

— Vifor Pharma Spain set up a mentoring programme for chronic kidney disease (CKD)

patients in six Spanish hospitals to improve patient-centred communication. The programme was endorsed by the National Nephrology Society (SEN), the National Nurses’ Society (SEDEN) and the patient organisations’ umbrella society (ALCER). More than 20 mentors were invited to join the programme, which aimed to improve treatment decisions by promoting the inclusion of patient exchange experience as part of the outpatient visits.

— In Spain, the patient support programme Nefralia® continued in 2019, offering support to CKD patients. In collaboration with Spanish patient organisations and medical societies, CKD patients were provided with information and interaction opportunities. A variety of educa-

tional tools offered practical information, such as cooking lessons and nutritional information.

PAT I E N T T O O L S A N D S E R V I C E S

Through our scientific knowledge and medical expertise, Vifor Pharma is well-positioned to provide patients and their carers with the tools and materials to help improve the management of their conditions. Where meaningful and appropriate, we aim to introduce support programmes dedicated to the needs of patients, helping them to improve their lives. As part of the process of developing these tools and materials, we interact with patients or their representative organisations, further expanding our understanding of the burden of disease.

In the reporting period, we engaged in numerous patient support initiatives, reaching patients and caregivers across the globe. Highlights included:

— Supporting the establishment of SEE ME. HEAR ME., a patient and carer platform related to the rare disease ANCA-associated Vasculitis. The platform was co-developed with patient representatives, and contains useful materials for people affected by the condition, ranging from self-care tools to patients’ own experiences and specific support for carers.

2 0 19 C K D M E N T O R I N G P R O G R A M M E I N S PA I N

HOSPITALS IN SPAIN TAKING PART

ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTED

MENTORS

CKD PATIENTS BENEFITED

We engage in numer-ous patient support initiatives, reaching patients and caregivers across the globe.

— Vifor Pharma Germany supported ‘We for Life 2019’, a national education event in Berlin. Vifor Pharma employees offered educational training for nurses to enhance the knowledge base around chronic patients, including the importance of diet and exercise for patients with chronic diseases.

Learning from patients' experience during an interview

GO TO START

https://www.myancavasculitis.com/


For me, one of the most important things we, as a pharmaceutical company, can do is use our medical expertise, and support patients in gaining access to relevant and appropriate information. This may help them to better understand aspects related to their condition.

At Vifor Pharma Group, we engage with patient association groups and patients early on to identify the real burden of their disease and to identify specific needs and priorities together. Understanding the patient journey is the founda-tion for everything.

DIJANA KRAFCSIKD I R E C T O R O R P H A N D I S E A S E S – Z U R I C H , S W I T Z E R L A N D


Through regular interaction with representatives of patient associations, such as local workshops with patients and carers, we seek to ensure that whatever we produce serves their needs. I admire the passion and dedication of the people leading and managing patient associations, who mostly have the condition themselves or are looking after loved ones affected by it.

Patient engagement is especially important in rare diseases, where few or no treatment options exist. In 2019, we began collaborating across Europe with patients and carers on ANCA-associ-ated Vasculitis (AAV). AAV is a group of progres-sive, rare and severe autoimmune diseases. It can affect the small blood vessels in different parts of the body, resulting in damage to vital organs such as lungs, kidneys and the heart. Together with the patient associations, we co-developed an initiative called SEE ME. HEAR ME. It’s an innova-tive platform for people affected by AAV, offering tools that help people take better care of them-selves. The goal is to empower people with AAV and their carers by making them feel seen, heard and understood.

myancavasculitis.com

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Understanding the patient journey is the foundation for everything.”

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http://www.myancavasculitis.com/


Patient representatives participating in the Patient Academy

PATIENTS / PATIENT NEEDS & SUPPORT

F O C U S I N G O U R W O R K O N PAT I E N T S

At Vifor Pharma, we try to dedicate our entire business to the ultimate benefit of patients. We continuously align our employees, business partners and senior management to our commit-ment to patient centricity. Living up to this commitment, relevant initiatives in 2019 included:

— Launch of the Vifor Pharma Patient Academy. This enables our employees to learn from patient representatives about the disease burden, the priorities of the patient organisa-

tions we collaborate with and the importance of involving patients in key strategic decisions, from clinical development programmes to the development of patient support programmes. The Academy also gives the patients involved a unique perspective of the company, and enables them to make their voice heard.

— Vifor Pharma Spain organised training for nephrologists and cardiologists with the aim of bolstering their patient communication skills and improving the overall patient

experience. — Supporting the national inflammatory

bowel disease (IBD) patients’ association, Vifor Pharma Romania co-organised several Patient Forums throughout the country. The educational events brought together patients and specialists from a variety of disciplines, including gastroenterologists, psychologists, dermatologists, gynaecologists and nutritionists.

— In Australia, a team of ‘Vifor Iron Nurse Educators’ (VINE) provided education to General Practice physicians at a dedicated event to support improved access to iron treatments in primary care.

We try to dedicate our entire business to the ultimate benefit of patients.

GO TO START

https://viforpharma.blog/tag/academy/


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PAT I E N T- C E N T R I C & E T H I C A L S C I E N C E

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Ethical research is fundamental to creating safe, effective medicines.

The Vifor Pharma Group conducts research activities in accordance with strict company policies and procedures as well as recognised international standards for Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP). We respect the rights of individuals involved in our research activities and disclose the purpose and nature of clinical studies.

We strictly adhere to applicable animal welfare laws, industry codes and standards relating to the responsible treatment of animals in research. We comply with the principles of the 3Rs (Reduce, Refine, Replace) and are committed to the devel-opment of new medicines using scientifically validated alternative testing methods that do not require animals. In situations that require the use of animals to conduct research, it is our responsi-bility to ensure animals are treated respectfully and with a high level of ethical concern.

PAT I E N T S A F E T Y

Vifor Pharma is dedicated to the highest stand-ards of product quality and drug safety. Our number one priority is the safety of patients treated with our medicines.

We have strict drug safety and reporting systems and processes in place. All necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the patients using our products benefit from them and, where necessary, risk minimisation activities are in place. We continuously and systematically monitor the safety and benefit-risk profile of our products and communi-cate with health authorities and patients in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. We also conduct regular and mandatory internal training on drug safety for all employees.

We are dedicated to the highest standards of product quality and drug safety.

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F O C U S A R E A

ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE

Our primary goal is to ensure our medicines get to the patients who need them, so we are com-mitted to the constant improvement of access to medicines. We believe improving access to healthcare also creates opportunities for growth and innovation, laying the foundation for invest-ment in improved therapeutic solutions and unexplored medical areas.

Of particular importance is ensuring access where no, or only poor, treatment options exist. Despite significant progress, many people with rare diseases still have no licensed treatment options. In addition, diagnosis of rare diseases can take longer than more common diseases, as physicians are often unfamiliar with the condition or symptoms. This means that even where appropriate treatment options do exist, timely access to those treatments is hindered.

In 2019, Vifor Pharma made significant steps in building its reputation as a centre of excellence for rare kidney diseases, such as ANCA-associat-ed Vasculitis (AAV) and Focal segmental glomeru-losclerosis (FSGS).

Vifor Pharma wants to be recognised as a respon-sible, trustworthy and reliable partner that cares about patients. Where access is impeded by regulatory or affordability issues, or otherwise exceptional circumstances, we strive to take appropriate measures within applicable regula-tions to meet specific patient needs.

In certain situations, and where allowed by applicable laws, we may consider entering strictly regulated ‘Managed Access Programmes’ to expedite the provision of treatment to patients suffering from a serious condition that could be addressed by one of our investigational products. For example: In 2019, Managed Access Pro-grammes were open to eligible AAV patients with a high unmet medical need in a number of European countries. Strict eligibility and non- eligibility criteria were set in pre-alignment with the license partner.

In addition, in certain countries, and where allowed by applicable laws and regulations, we also offer tailored financial assistance programmes to qualified patients in relation to several of our products.

Vifor Pharma may also choose to provide prefer-ential access to medicines and support in emer-gency situations, such as natural disasters or other exceptional circumstances that require patients to receive their medicine quickly.

PATIENTS / ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE

S I G N I F I C A N C E O F A C C E S S T O A P P R O P R I AT E T R E AT M E N T S

A C C E S S P R O G R A M M E S

It is in our core interest to see access to medicines constantly improve.

* https://www.efpia.eu/media/413644/wewontrest-until-we-make-treatments-for-rare-disease-less-rare.pdf

DISTINCT RARE DISEASES EXIST GLOBALLY

BETWEEN

ONLY AROUND

OF RARE DISEASES ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE AN APPROVED TREATMENT

DEFINED IN EUROPE AS AFFECTING LESS THAN IN

RARE DISEASES AFFECT AROUND

R A R E D I S E A S E S *

MILLION PEOPLE IN EUROPE

GO TO START


Access to quality medicines may be constrained for several reasons, such as affordability, availabil-ity, bureaucracy, poor health policies or natural disasters. Our commitment to work towards better access includes efforts to ensure appropri-ate healthcare policy frameworks, allowing us to sustainably reach more patients and provide them with access to quality treatments.

We recognise that the economic and healthcare environment differs from country to country and a variety of factors can act as barriers to access. Overcoming such barriers relies on the commit-ment of many different actors. Vifor Pharma makes investments to develop innovative and effective treatments and we collaborate with all stakeholders – from payers to policy makers and patient groups – through early dialogue to ensure our products are available to patients as quickly and widely as possible.

For Vifor Pharma, sound pharmaceutical legisla-tion and approval processes are essential to ensure patients receive safe and effective medicines. Fair remuneration of scientific innova-tion and the protection of intellectual property are key to sustaining incentives for the future development and supply of medicines. We firmly believe that patients deserve the best available treatment – there should be no compromises on healthcare. Patients should receive the most appropriate treatment for their condition as decided by the treating physician, rather than being dictated by cost-driven considerations.

A D V O C AT I N G F O R A C C E S S

Activities in 2019 which demonstrated our commitment to increased access to adequate and safe medicines included:

— Collaborating with the European Heart Failure Policy Network and supporting the development of ‘Understanding Heart Failure Guidelines’, a collection of lay summaries of key principles in leading European heart failure (HF) guidelines. The document was developed to give confidence to local health policy champions to scrutinise local and national HF policy, guidance and care arrangements, leading to better manage-

ment of the patient’s condition. — Participating in activities led by the

‘Mechanism for Coordinated Access to Orphan Medicines’, an initiative aimed at fostering early dialogue between manufac-

turers, payers and patient groups to help speed up access for patients in EU Member

States. — Acting as a funding partner of the European

Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines, a pan-European undertaking to fight counterfeit medicines and promote patient safety across the continent.

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APPROX.

F E R I N J E C T/ I N J E C TA F E R PAT I E N T E X P O S U R E I N 2 0 19

MILLION

MILLION

APPROX.

COUNTRIES

Patients deserve the best available treatment – there should be no compromises on healthcare.

DOSES MADE AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS

WHERE THE PRODUCT HAS BEEN APPROVED

YEARS OF PATIENT EXPERIENCE

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https://www.hfpolicynetwork.org/

EMPLOYEESW E VA L U E O U R E M P L O Y E E S

Employees are our most valuable resource. We are committed to supporting career development and fostering a diverse workforce. We seek to offer a safe and attractive work environment.

Our employees’ knowledge and dedication is key to the development and commercialisation of our therapeutic solutions. Fostering a skilled and diverse workforce yields attractive job and development opportunities, while driving innovation and improving productivity. By focusing on safety and well-being, we can create healthy, pleasant and inspiring workplaces. This supports our goal of minimising absence through injury or illness, optimise retention rates and improve performance by actively engaging employees.

GO TO START


F O C U S A R E A

EMPLOYEE POTENTIAL

Employees and work situations at the Lisbon production site, captured on polaroid during the 2019 Safety Open Day Portugal

Knowledge is what sets us apart and keeps us flexible and competitive as an organisation and as individuals. At Vifor Pharma, we are committed to providing our employees with attractive job and development opportunities. With ambitious business goals, it is vital to attract, retain and engage qualified people through proactive career development. We want our employees to grow in their roles. To achieve this, we have a range of educational programmes in place, often tailor-made and designed to meet specific functional needs.

The centrepiece of our Learning & Development programme is the Vifor Pharma Academy. During 2019, we reviewed and expanded the educational content. Across nine different Academies, we offered more than 95 training programmes, helping our people to improve their knowledge and skills in areas such as presentations, finance, leadership, change management, technical operations, sales skills and behavioural under-standing. We have continued to strengthen our partnership with the Executive Business School of The University of St. Gallen.

We launched our Learning Management System in 2019 with the aim of increasing efficiency, removing duplication and creating a harmonised approach to our capability development. We also launched a Talent Management System which allows us to further support the development of our people by identifying potential future successors for key roles.

E M P L O Y E E D E V E L O P M E N T

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We are committed to providing our employees with attractive job and development opportunities.

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T H E V I F O R P H A R M A A C A D E M Y I N 2 0 19 :

ACADEMIES (LEADERSHIP, TECHNICAL OPERATIONS, OPEN PROGRAMMES, SALES, MARKETING, MARKET ACCESS, MEDICAL, FINANCE, PATIENTS)

TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN TOTAL

PARTICIPANTS IN TOTAL

LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME GRADUATES

NEXT TOPIC

https://viforpharma.blog/tag/academy/


Employees participating in a Vifor Pharma Academy workshop

Our production sites and national subsidiaries also offer individual and often locally-tailored development programmes. Highlights in 2019 included:

— Vifor Pharma UK piloted a new micro-learning platform called Axonify for its field force. It seeks to drive optimal performance by ingrai-

ning knowledge in a way that can change and improve an individual’s behaviour. Powered by a leading adaptive learning engine, employ-

ees can participate in a short, personal training session for a few minutes each day that

reinforces critical knowledge, helping them to improve on the job.

— Relypsa offered ‘Reach’ courses throughout the year, providing tools and resources to employees to support personal develop-

ment. Topics included “Emotional Intelli- gence”, “Communication is a Contact Sport,”

“Time Management” as well as systems (Concur) and applications (Advanced Excel). The Reach courses continue to be very popular with employees.

— ‘Lunch & Learn sessions’ took place at various locations across Vifor Pharma. These regular sessions, consisting of presentations on a wide variety of relevant topics, are strongly supported by our employees. Presentation are followed by a free lunch and are a great platform to learn new things, promote inter-

nal projects and connect with colleagues.

EMPLOYEES / EMPLOYEE POTENTIAL

We want our employees to grow and develop in their roles.

GO TO START


In Spain, we’ve been focusing on questions around diversity and inclusion. We want to ensure we have a pleasant working environment that provides equal opportunities, respect for individuals and freedom from any form of discrimina-tion or harassment.

Ensuring equal opportunities has been a strong commitment at Vifor Pharma for many years. But it’s more than just differences between men and women. Gender, sexual orientation, age, cultural backgrounds – they are all important and relevant.

At Vifor Pharma Spain, the culture and mindset is well advanced when it comes to equal opportuni-ties and non-discrimination. But it’s important to reinforce our commitment and demonstrate how

much this matters to us as a company. In Spain, we’ve piloted an awareness campaign related to questions around inclusion, diversity, non- discrimination and equal opportunities. A similar campaign is planned to be rolled-out globally.

We started an internal communication initiative challenging certain types of perceptions. For example, reinforcing the idea that responsibilities for taking care of children and the home need to be shared, allowing women to take on jobs with greater responsibility and have ownership of their career. We’re also starting a project around inclusive language – this is more difficult in Spanish, because words are either masculine or feminine, and it sometimes may be harder to say the same thing in a neutral way.

I would say that our employees in Spain are well aware that all these things are important. They appreciate our efforts to ensure an environment that is free of discrimination and that offers equality of opportunity. General feedback also shows that people have a positive perception of Vifor Pharma as an employer. This really helps us to continue to attract good and talented people who share our common values.

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ANNA DOMENECHS O U T H E U R O P E H R L E A D – B A R C E L O N A , S PA I N


Ensuring equal opportunities has been a strong commitment at Vifor Pharma for many years.”

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30

In 2019, Vifor Pharma was awarded a Fair Pay certification in all locations in Switzerland. An external consultancy firm verified that Vifor Pharma pays female and male employees equally for the same job or for a job of the same value in the assessed locations. This reflects Vifor Phar-ma’s commitment to demonstrate gender pay equality and foster inclusion.

At Vifor Pharma Spain, a gender equality plan (“Plan de Igualdad”) fosters equal opportunities between men and women and intends to avoid discrimination in the organisation. In 2019, an internal survey identified areas of improvement to be added to the plan: promotion of equal opportunities, development of a manual for non-sexist language in our communications, and communicating the company’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunities.

Vifor Pharma is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusiveness in its workforce. Diversity of cultures, religions, nationalities, genders, age groups and personal backgrounds is a valuable source of talent and creativity, contributing to our business success.

Qualified employees or job applicants receive the same consideration regardless of race, colour, origin, citizenship, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, age, medical condition or disability. To foster a diverse workforce, Inclusion & Diversity is a standard component of our talent recruitment. Our global recruitment team is trained and sensitised to consider aspects such as gender, age, background, disabilities, etc. when filling an open position.

A dedicated ‘Inclusion & Diversity’ programme was initiated in 2019. The team in charge devel-oped a roadmap envisaging a set of projects and initiatives to further embed inclusion and diversity in the company.

E Q U A L I T Y, I N C L U S I O N A N D D I V E R S I T Y

EMPLOYEES / EMPLOYEE POTENTIAL

2 0 19 D I V E R S I T Y N U M B E R S

2019201820172016

PERCENT OF WOMEN EMPLOYED

PERCENT OF WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT POSITIONS

PERCENT OF EMPLOYEES OLDER THAN 5024.7

42.5

50.6

27.3

42.2

51.2

62 61

28.6

43.4

51.5

32.1

44.452.0

65NATIONALITIES IN TOTAL

Vifor Pharma is committed to diversity and inclusiveness.

GO TO START


The winner of the 2019 Student of the Year Award, co-organised with Universum Global

Apprentices from the St. Gallen site in Switzerland

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Vifor Pharma’s success depends on recruiting and retaining the best talent. It is therefore crucial to continually invest in and support future genera-tions and upcoming talent. A number of initiatives are in place to support this.

Since 2014, we have been running our ‘Life Science Student of the Year’ challenge, targeting students and recent graduates. Applicants are asked to deliver a small business case study on a pre-defined topic, and the winner is awarded a three-month paid internship at Vifor Pharma (worth 10,000 Swiss francs). The award is conducted in coopera-tion with Universum Global, a global leader in employer branding. In addition, each year we offer a two-year Graduate Programme for life science graduates (BSc/ MSc/ PhD). The graduates rotate through several departments and sites during the course of the programme.

In 2019, Vifor Pharma entered a collaboration with the University of Applied Science in Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) near Basel. Bachelor students in Life Science Technologies embarked on a module called “My Future” as part of their studies, prepa- ring them for after-student life. Our experts provided insights from an international pharma-ceutical company. The students were shown job opportunities in the life sciences industry to increase their interest in working in this field after finishing their studies.

A number of internship programmes were again offered throughout Vifor Pharma in 2019. They provide interns with guidance, support them in gaining valuable skills, and hone their education with hands-on work and learning experience. Throughout Switzerland, we had a total of 27 apprentices employed in 2019. Relypsa had a total of ten interns across eight different function-al areas during the summer.

F U T U R E TA L E N T

It is crucial to continually invest in and support future generations and upcoming talent.

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Coffee area at the operational headquarters in Zurich

EMPLOYEES / WORKPLACE & WELL-BEING

F O C U S A R E A

WORKPLACE & WELL-BEING

An attractive working environment and a positive work-life balance are essential to the physical and mental well-being of our employees. We believe this engenders motivation and increases produc-tivity. Vifor Pharma therefore strives to offer a safe, stimulating, healthy and flexible workplace, so our employees feel inspired and empowered to contribute to the company’s success.

Vifor Pharma seeks a workplace free of harass-ment and discrimination. Any discrimination on the basis of race, colour, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, political affiliation, union membership or marital status is not tolerated. Vifor Pharma’s Code of Conduct and Business Ethics is very clear on this issue. A 24-hour emergency number is provided to all employees where, among other things, sexual harassment, discrimination and workplace violence can be reported.

W O R K P L A C E E N V I R O N M E N T

PA R T I C I PA N T S I N S A F E T Y T R A I N I N G S

N U M B E R O F S A F E T Y T R A I N I N G S AT P R O D U C T I O N S I T E S

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Fire safety training at OM Pharma Lima, Peru

Employees at Vifor Pharma have the right to safety while working on behalf of the company. Safety is also a key factor for business success, as absences due to injuries or illnesses create costs and additional expense. It is therefore our firm commitment to reduce the risk of workplace injury or harm.

At Vifor Pharma, we aim to provide our employ-ees with a safe workplace by implementing a number of initiatives, such as workplace safety best practices and employee training. We adhere to all laws, regulations and industry standards relating to workplace safety and employee well-being. Our production sites operate with specific health and safety management systems, adjusted to local obligations and circumstances.

In 2019, we began developing a new Group-wide Health & Safety Policy. Publication is planned in 2020. The principal aim was to harmonise and standardise Vifor Pharma’s overall approach towards safety and wellbeing measures through-out the company. The policy was developed by internal HR experts and the Group’s Environmen-tal Committee.

S A F E W O R K P L A C E

Vifor Pharma Portugal organised a ‘Safety Day’ at the Lisbon production site in 2019. Under the catchphrase ‘Take a Photo and Send a Message’, employees were asked to take a polaroid photo when witnessing a potentially dangerous situation that could lead to an accident or a health- related issue. They were also asked to write suggestions and comments on the photo on how to best solve the situation. The exercise was very successful, highlighting the broad spectrum of safety-related issues.

Our production sites and subsidiaries regularly conduct safety initiatives. Highlights in 2019 included:

— A Safety Day for all employees at the production site in Fribourg, Switzerland;

— Gas-related hazards and anti-explosion training at the production site in St. Gallen,

Switzerland; — An earthquake drill and fire training for all

employees at the affiliate in Lima, Peru. — A behaviour-based safety programme pilot at

our Lisbon site that is expected to be expanded to other production sites in the course of 2020.

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We aim to provide our employees with a safe workplace.

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Townhall meeting at Vifor Pharma in Barcelona, Spain

EMPLOYEES / WORKPLACE & WELL-BEING

At Vifor Pharma, we believe it is vital for the company’s success to engage with our employees by listening to their first-hand experience and ideas related to everyday work. We provide a number of opportunities to voice concerns or submit proposals. Our aim is to steadily improve according to needs.

A directive for all staff committees and works committees based in Switzerland sets out their objectives, duties and responsibilities. These committees contribute to workplace-related issues and may put forward workplace-related proposals to the local management. The mem-bers of the staff and works committees are trained on their rights, duties and legal obligations. Subsidiaries in several other countries have their own local employee forum or committees in place.

Vifor Pharma regularly conducts Group-wide ‘Employee Engagement Surveys’. This is an ideal way to listen first-hand to the feedback of employ-ees and to put their ideas into action. The last overall company engagement score was commu-nicated in early 2019. Participation across the company was an impressive 91%, while the engagement score was 76%. More than three quarters of our employees would recommend Vifor Pharma as a place to work. The next engagement survey is anticipated in 2021.

E M P L O Y E E S ’ V O I C E

It is vital for our company’s success to engage with our employees and listen to their first-hand experience and ideas.

In 2019, several of our sites and subsidiaries engaged in initiatives that gave employees the opportunity to share their personal work experi-ences and come up with improvement ideas.

Highlights included:

— Vifor Pharma UK introduced an ‘Entrepre- neurial Day’ to showcase new thinking and

talent within the workforce. Employees were encouraged to present their ideas on reducing costs and increasing efficiency to the Executive Management Team.

— Vifor Pharma Spain introduced, regular town halls. Employees have the opportunity to share experiences with colleagues from projects they have worked on and ask questions to the management team.

— Our site in Geneva held two employee sessions during the year with the local working council. The aim was to facilitate the exchange between employees and manage-

ment, and collect ideas for improvement.

GO TO START


Vifor Pharma Portugal employees at their morning exercise on the rooftop of the new production building in Lisbon

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W O R K- L I F E B A L A N C E A N D W E L L - B E I N G

To improve our employees' performance and retention rates Vifor Pharma strives to offer contemporary working conditions and put an emphasis on a sound work-life balance.

We offer our employees a home office policy and a recently revised parental leave arrangement. In addition, employees may benefit from employ-ee assistance programmes, adjusted to local circumstances. As an example, Vifor Pharma Spain offered all employees access to ‘WellWo’ in 2019, an application providing information on topics such as emotional health, fitness, mindful-ness and nutrition. Employees receive daily recommendations and can participate in a range of online programmes.

We take appropriate measures to create a healthy working environment for our employees, support-ing them in living a healthier and mindful life – inside and outside the workplace. Initiatives in 2019 included:

— Vifor Pharma UK introduced a mental health awareness week. Employees were familiarised with the ‘Every Mind Matters’ awareness programme by the National Health Service. They received information about support options available through the UK health system and Vifor Pharma.

— Recognising the importance of health at work, Vifor Pharma Portugal began to combine the weekly safety update with regular stretching exercises that take place on the rooftop of the new production building in Lisbon.

— As in previous years, Relypsa employees in the US were given the opportunity to engage in an annual Health & Wellness Week. They were encouraged to lead a healthier lifestyle, with each day of the week dedicated to health-related activities, ranging from a wellness fair and workshops, environmental awareness education, introductory strength training, fruit-infused water stations, flu shots, healthy lunches and more.

Adjusted to national obligations and circumstances, Vifor Pharma offers a range of non-salary benefits. Depending on the work location, employees may take advantage of benefits including health and risk protection, financial security, equity plans, children’s funds and various employee awards.

We take appropriate measures to create a healthy working environment for our employees.

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ENVIRONMENT W E C A R E A B O U T T H E E N V I R O N M E N T

Protecting and caring for the environment is essential to the way we conduct business. We focus on the efficient use of resources and on minimising our environmental impact.

Increasing resource efficiency protects scarce resources, while in turn reducing waste and economic costs. A conscious and efficient use of resources is crucial for a sustainable and successful business. Of particular importance is minimising greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to mitigate climate change and its effects. This contributes to lowering costs associated with climate change and helps us to drive our business forward in a less carbon-intensive future.

GO TO START


In 2019, a new group-wide Environmental Policy was developed by the Group’s Environmental Committee and adopted by the Executive Committee. The policy showcases our group’s commitment towards reducing the environmental impact of our business activities. The principal aim of the policy is to harmonise and standardise Vifor Pharma’s approach to environmental management throughout the company, define our management approach, and streamline processes and the implementation of specific measures. The policy document is available on the corporate website.

E N V I R O N M E N TA L M A N A G E M E N T ( I S O 14 0 0 1)

Vifor Pharma is committed to the highest environ-mental standards. All our production sites are certified according to ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management. It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through efficient use of resources and reduction of emissions. Benefits include:

— Cost savings due to greater emphasis on efficient use of resources;

— Waste and energy management; — Reduced impact of operations on the

environment; — Continuous improvement processes

embedded in the company; — Comprehensive legal awareness and

compliance.

In 2019, all our production sites have successfully undergone annual certification audits.

Solar panels on the roof of the Lisbon production site generate clean electricity

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E N E R G Y

The manufacture of our products requires resources such as water and energy. Today we see environmental laws and regulations putting an increased emphasis on resource conservation, and non-renewable resources becoming scarce and associated with high costs. As a result, resource efficiency is important from an environ-mental as well as economic perspective, becoming a key long-term success factor for Vifor Pharma.

F O C U S A R E A

RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

1 The previous year's total energy consumption was corrected from 193,559 GJ to 217,951 GJ the energy intensity ratio was corrected from 0.12 to 0.14.

Vifor Pharma is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its business activities and therefore the efficient use of resources, e.g. by implementing targeted efficiency measures. The Vifor Pharma Group’s total energy consumption at its main sites in 2019 was 224,239 GJ, with the energy intensity ratio (total energy consumption per thousand CHF net sales) decreasing from last year's 0.14 to 0.12¹.

All Vifor Pharma production sites in Switzerlandand Portugal obtain 100% of their electricity fromhydropower. Worldwide, the Vifor Pharma Groupcovers 34% of its energy needs with electricityand heating from renewable sources, i.e. hydro- electric power and district heating. The remainingenergy consumed stems from non-renewablesources, i.e. heating oil, natural gas, diesel and petrol.

To increase energy efficiency further, our produc-tion sites and subsidiaries introduced various measures in 2019. Highlights included:

— Optimising the compressed air production settings at the sites in Geneva and Basel in

Switzerland. — Expanding solar panels on the production

buildings in Lisbon (roll-out in 2020); independently generated electricity (1% of total energy consumption) is incorporated into the overall power grid.

— Launching a feasibility study installing solar panels on the rooftops of the production buildings in St. Gallen, Fribourg and Geneva.

— An energy audit due to increased energy consumption related to a new production plant in Lisbon.

— An updated spray dryer and a new cleaning method for the heat exchanger at the site in St. Gallen, which led to higher energy efficiency.

ENVIRONMENT / RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

Electricity production of the photo- voltaic installation at production building in Lisbon (MWh):

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P H O T O V O LTA I C

E N E R G Y C O N S U M P T I O N

Total energy consumption per thousand CHF net sales (GJ/TCHF):

2018: 0.14

2019

All Vifor Pharma production sites obtain 100 % of their electricity from hydropower.

GO TO START


New central waste collection points at operational headquarters in Switzerland

W AT E R W A S T E

Vifor Pharma’s operations do not require intensive use of water. Nevertheless, as water is a scarce resource and multiple areas worldwide are suffering from water scarcity, it is our responsibility as a global pharmaceutical company to have sustainable water management.

At Vifor Pharma, water is mainly used in manufac-turing processes, but also in our office buildings. The measured water consumption increased by 15%, from 244,387 m³ in 2018 to 282,008 m³ in 2019. This increase can mainly be explained by increased production levels and the inclusion of data from additional sites (Glattbrugg, Switzer-land, and Relypsa, US).

Vifor Pharma is continuously seeking to reduce water consumption by introducing different initiatives. Highlights in 2019 included:

— Optimising water consumption for cleaning and cooling purposes at the site in St. Gallen.

— Introducing a concept presentation to local authorities for a wastewater neutralisation installation at the site in Fribourg.

— Completing a study of cold water consumption at the production site in Geneva, with

an action plan expected to be carried out during 2020.

The manufacture of our products generates different kinds of waste, some of which potentially pose risks to the environment. We therefore put a strong emphasis on waste management and are committed to reducing and recycling our waste.

As in the previous year, a total of 72% of the waste generated during manufacturing processes was non-hazardous. The total weight of waste increased by 2% in 2019, from 1,010t in 2018 to 1,032t in the reporting year. Moreover, there was no significant spillage in 2019. Some 21% of the waste generated in 2019 was recycled, while 79% was incinerated as required by law (regarding medical waste), most of it with energy recovery. While this is an improvement compared to the previous year, it’s below the targeted increase of the waste recycling rate by 5 percentage points compared to 2018. It remains our aim to continu-ously reduce waste generated by our manufac-turing processes and business activities by recycling waste where possible and by raising employee awareness about waste management. Moreover, we will continue to pursue our self- imposed recycling goals.

In 2019, we focused on further improving waste disposal through a number of initiatives. Highlights included:

— Implementing single-use plastic eradication measures at nearly all Vifor Pharma locations, which consisted of replacing plastic cutlery and cups and introducing glass drinking bottles.

— Mapping of the waste process. — Introducing central waste collection points at

all our production sites. — Transferring off-specification batches and

expired raw materials to a biogas plant. — Running a ‘zero waste’ campaign at our

affiliate in Spain. — Cooperating with the local public waste

management agency at Relypsa in the US and introducing composting in the office building.

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Total water consumption per thousand CHFnet sales (m3/TCHF):

2018: 0.15

2019

W A S T E

Total weight of waste per thousand CHF net sales (kg/TCHF):

2018: 0.64

2019

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Efforts to improve our impact on the environment are constantly underway at Vifor Pharma, because we are always striving to do better. One of our big initiatives in 2019 was around waste management, implementing more than 20 different types of recycling for regular and non-hazardous waste at our offices and production sites in Fribourg, Switzerland.

We had to change some habits. There are no longer individual waste bins in offices for example. Instead, you have to go to a central place on your floor to recycle paper, glass and plastic bottles. On the production side, of course there’s much more waste – different metals such as iron and stainless steel that can be recycled and many types of hard and soft plastics like those used for packaging. These days they can be recycled as well.

People were very supportive and enthusiastic about the new system for dealing with waste. We worked with a designer on the visual manage-ment of the approach, creating special colours and pictograms to help with identification and provide clear guidance. These became familiar very quickly as we standardised everything, so people could understand what they should be doing with different components and why.

We did on-the-ground training. Trying to adjust and adapt the containers was a major issue, because there are a lot of ergonomic aspects to consider – all the loading and manoeuvring is a challenge. The idea was to make it as simple as possible and easy to remember, and explain what the purpose was. We educated people about why it’s important to do this.

The next major project is to encourage employ-ees to think differently about how they travel to work – for example, using car-pooling, public transport or electric bikes. Just like with waste disposal, it’s all about changing habits.

CORINNE CHARTONH E A LT H , S A F E T Y & E N V I R O N M E N T S E N I O R M A N AG E R – F R I B O U R G , S W I T Z E R L A N D


ENVIRONMENT / RESOURCE EFFICIENCY

We are always striving to do better.”

“

GO TO START


2 Last year's carbon intensity ratio was corrected to 12.4.

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Our manufacturing processes and business activities generate greenhouse gas emissions, namely CO2. We understand that the impact of climate change, such as a rising global average temperature and shifting weather patterns, will also affect our wider business and operations. We are therefore committed to actively minimis-ing our own emissions and to mitigating our impact on the climate.

C O 2 E M I S S I O N S

F O C U S A R E A

MINIMISATION OF EMISSIONS

The Vifor Pharma Group’s total direct and indirect CO2 emissions increased from 19,606t in 2018 to 20,911t in 2019, whereas the carbon intensity ratio (total greenhouse gas emissions in kg per thousand CHF net sales) decreased from 12.4 to 11.12. We consider the decreasing of the ratio as a very positive development, as additionally, in the reporting year a more comprehensive set of data regarding fuel consumption of the international offices was collected and included in Scope 3.

As of 2019, 51% of our total emissions are indirect Scope 3 emissions. These include outbound logistics as well as business travel, which since 2019 also includes travel by train. Some 4% are accounted for by indirect Scope 2 emissions,

We are committed to actively minimise our emissions and to mitigating our impact on the climate.

namely purchased electricity, and 45% by direct emissions (Scope 1), including pharmaceutical production and production of heat for buildings. These energy efficiency measures resulted in a reduction of CO2 emissions by 73t and energy consumption by 1,414 GJ in 2019. We will continue to improve our data in the coming years.

Since 2013, Vifor Pharma has taken part in the ‘Carbon Disclosure Project’ (CDP). In 2019, our disclosure received a C score for the level of Engagement. This confirms that Vifor Pharma understands how environmental issues influence its business model. CDP is an international non-profit organisation that maintains the largest global environmental database. Vifor Pharma's Environmental Committee is looking into oppor-tunities to further increase the performance and improve the score.

E M I S S I O N S

Total greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1 and 2) per thousand CHF net sales (kgCO2/TCHF):

2018: 6.7

2019

Total greenhouse gas emissions (all scopes) per thousand CHF net sales (kgCO2/TCHF):

2018: 12.4

2019

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https://www.cdp.net/en


Tree planting initiative in Portugal to compensate for CO2 emissions

3 The amount of last year’s VOC emissions was corrected from 34t to 19t

We take practical steps to keep mitigating the burden that the production of our products – as here at our St. Gallen site – may place on the environment

ENVIRONMENT / MINIMISATION OF EMISSIONS

Our production sites in Switzerland have a target agreement with the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to reduce CO2 intensity and increase energy efficiency. The targets are agreed individually based on the potential at each site. An energy plan, covering efficiency measures identified as cost-effective by the EnAW (Energie-Agentur der Wirtschaft), sets out how the objective is to be achieved over a period of ten years. In return, the sites are exempt from the national CO2 levy applied to fossil fuels.

Local initiatives in 2019 related to reducing CO2 emissions included:

— Planting of 320 trees by Vifor Pharma Lisbon in compensation for the local production

site’s CO2 emissions the previous year; — Inviting employees to celebrate World

Environment Day on 5 June 2019 at the site in Geneva, Switzerland, the main theme being air pollution.

V O C E M I S S I O N S

Manufacturing processes also generate emis-sions of volatile organic compounds (VOC). They are used as solvents in different products such as detergents. When these substances evaporate, they can harm humans and the environment. Vifor Pharma aims to prevent VOC emissions across its production sites.

Switzerland has an incentive tax on VOC to help meet the statutory reduction in VOC emissions. In 2019, we paid tax on 263t of internal VOC emissions, a 37% increase over the previous year, mainly due to a new and more accurate calcula-tion mode of our production site in Fribourg, Switzerland.

GO TO START

https://enaw.ch/en/


A I R T R A V E L I M PA C T

REDUCTION OF BUSINESS FLIGHT SEGMENTS

REDUCTION OF CO2 EMISSIONS RELATED TO BUSINESS FLIGHTS

REDUCTION OF FUEL CONSUMPTION RELATED TO BUSINESS FLIGHTS

Improvements in 2019 due to measures to reduce air travel*:

*data available covering approx. two-third of allVifor Pharma business flights

M O B I L I T Y M E A S U R E S

Employee mobility also generates greenhouse gas emissions, either through commuting or business travel. As a result, several initiatives throughout the organisation are geared towards environment-friendly transportation solutions.

Internal data suggested that in 2019, the emis-sions caused by commuting and business travel by all Vifor Pharma employees was roughly equivalent to the total emissions of our manufac-turing operations. In response to this, a number of initiatives supporting energy-efficient mobility were introduced across the company in 2019. Highlights included:

— Piloting a car sharing platform via app (Comovee);

— Engaging in a Bike-to-Work day at several locations in Switzerland;

— Expanding of e-Bike charging stations at several locations;

— Introducing a shuttle bus between the production site and the main railway station in St. Gallen;

— Offering an e-bike promotion to employees in Switzerland;

— Revising a green car company policy for Vifor Pharma employees in the UK.

Being mindful of resources and emissions caused by business travel, Vifor Pharma has introduced several measures to reduce air travel in recent years. This included investments in video confer-encing technology and the requirement that all business class flights must be approved by a member of the Executive Committee. Since 2018, we have been using ‘atmosfair’, a climate-focused

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analytical tool provided by Airplus, the travel booking company covering approximately two-thirds of our business flights. The tool allows us to better manage our air travel and reduce climate impact. All these measures combined resulted in the following improvements in 2019 compared to previous year:

— The total number of business-related flight segments was reduced by 2.6%

— CO2 emissions related to these flights were reduced by 12.5%

— Fuel consumption related to these flights was reduced by 17.3%

To further improve efficiency gains and reduce climate impact, we have initiated a project to cen- tralise all flight arrangements, leaving us with only one booking system for the entire organisation.

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https://www.atmosfair.de/en/

COMMUNITY W E E N G A G E W I T H O U R C O M M U N I T Y

We recognise our responsibility to communities in which we operate. We engage in meaningful projects and encourage the spread of scientific knowledge and understanding of health.

Social engagement strengthens communities and provides assistance where needed. As a company it enables us to build community trust, enhance our reputation and motivate our employees. By sharing our extensive scientific knowledge we also contribute to an improved understanding of health-care-related topics. This leads to a better informed and ultimately healthier society, and fosters interest in science and health by current and future generations.

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F O C U S A R E A

Being a global company, we operate in a wide range of local communities. We believe it is our social responsibility to engage directly with these communities, show appreciation and give back to people. This enhances our visibility as a company and employer and paves the way for collabora-tions based on trust.

At Vifor Pharma, we are committed to contribut-ing to local communities and to providing direct assistance where we see emerging need. Follow-ing internal standards to ensure our resources yield the greatest benefit, we support selected projects that result in improvements for affected communities.

In 2019, our employees in Singapore engaged in the ‘Meals-on-Wheels’ initiative, a meal delivery programme to meet the daily needs of house-bound elderly people. The initiative is organised by Touch Community Services, a local non-profit

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

L O C A L C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T

organisation supporting children, families and elderly people with the help of volunteers. Divided into groups, our Singapore colleagues packed and delivered food supplies to the doorstep, respecting a variety of dietary needs. Over a four hour period, a total of 125 households were supplied.

Vifor Pharma Australia participated in the ‘Buddy Bags’ programme in 2019, run by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, a local charity caring for children who were forced to flee their home due to family violence. The children are provided with a backpack full of essentials on arrival at emer-gency accommodation. These contain items such as a toothbrush, pillowcase, pyjamas, books, photo frame and the all-important teddy bear. These everyday items restore a sense of security to children when they need it most. Vifor Pharma Australia provided a total of 23 Buddy Bags to the charity.

Vifor Pharma Portugal employees during the 2019 International Coastal Cleanup Day

Vifor Pharma employees in Singapore delivering meals to housebound people

2 0 19 M E A L S - O N - W H E E L S ’ I N I T I AT I V E I N S I N G A P O R E

VIFOR PHARMA EMPLOYEES INVOLVED

EACH GROUP RESPONSIBLE FOR

HOURS TO PERFORM THE TASK

HOUSEHOLDS WERE SUPPLIED

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In 2019, Vifor Pharma Lisbon and OM Pharma in Geneva both donated used office and canteen furniture to local communities, schools and organisations. In Portugal, the initiative was officially supported by the local council, who distributed the furniture to local families in need. In Geneva, office furniture was donated to local public schools, the Red Cross and the local fire fighter department.

In line with our plastic elimination initiative, beach- cleaning was a major theme at Vifor Pharma in 2019. Several of our affiliates engaged in volun-tary programmes to support cleaning their local shorelines.

— In the UK, a group of Vifor Pharma employees teamed up with the Marine Conservation Society, a not-for-profit environment organi-

sation. They participated in the Beachwatch event at Holy Well Mount beach in Eastbourne. The littering survey programme aims to help marine wildlife by preventing species from accidentally eating or becoming entangled in plastic and fishing lines. The UK team re-

trieved 8 kg of litter from the coastline. — On the other side of the Irish Sea,

a Vifor Pharma Ireland team met at Dolly- mount Strand on Bull Island, the popular

5 km-long stretch of sandy beach and dunes on the north coast of Dublin Bay to pick up rubbish and discarded plastics.

— Vifor Pharma Portugal participated in the annual International Coastal Cleanup Day, led by the European Blue Flag Association. About 40 employees and family members met at Mata Beach near Lisbon on a Saturday morning in September for a joint beach cleaning exercise. A total of 1 km of sandy beach was cleaned within 2 hours.

Office furniture donated to local communities by Vifor Pharma Portugal

Vifor Pharma employees in Ireland on a beach cleaning exercise

At Vifor Pharma we are determined to help. In emergency situations, such as natural disasters, we provide ad-hoc support, especially when employ-ees or their communities are directly affected.

At the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, dramatic bushfires devastated communities and wildlife across Australia. Vifor Pharma provided a financial donation to the Red Cross Australia Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund, and to the WWF Australia Bushfire Emergency to support wildlife.

Many Vifor Pharma employees joined the efforts to support those affected by the unfolding disaster. In addition to the original corporate contribution, Vifor Pharma supplemented employee donations, donating two Australian Dollars for each dollar donated by employees.

D I S A S T E R R E L I E F

COMMUNITY / SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

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https://www.redcross.org.au/


Vifor Pharma UK employess participating in the 2019 Prudential Ride in London

In 2019, Vifor Pharma employees went the extra mile by cycling, walking and climbing to demon-strate their physical commitment to support a good cause. Apart from sweat and dedication, the initiatives were backed by financial contribu-tions to charity organisations, helping wider patient communities directly.

Initiated by our US organisation a couple of years ago, several Vifor Pharma locations in Switzer-land joined the challenge and organised local ‘Kidney Walks’. The aim of these walks is to raise awareness of kidney diseases and to provide charitable donations to selected patient organi-sations. In 2019:

— Our US organisation sponsored 12 Kidney Walks across the country with more than 170 employees participating. In addition to the corporate sponsorship, the employees participated in individual fundraising for the National Kidney Foundation, demonstrating their support for kidney patients.

— In Switzerland, employees at the production sites in Fribourg and St. Gallen and the operational headquarters in Zürich followed the example of their American colleagues. Following an information session with nephrology experts, each location organised a local Kidney Walk with their employees. Financial contributions were made to the Swiss Kidney Foundation.

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In the UK, a group of colleagues participated in the Prudential Ride London to fundraise for two patient organisations. Prudential Ride London is one of the world’s largest cycling festivals, with leading professional cyclists attending. Addition-ally, amateur cyclists can participate in different challenges such as a 100 mile, 46 mile or 19 mile ride to raise money for good causes. Our UK employees participated in the 100 mile challenge to support the Pumping Marvellous Foundation and the Rainbow Trust Charity.

As in previous years, a team of Vifor Pharma Switzerland employees participated in the 2019 Mud Day, a team-building event that included charity support. A donation was made to the Nicole Niquille Foundation. The Nepal-based foundation provides medical support for the local community in one of the world’s most remote areas.

Vifor Pharma employees participating in a 2019 local Kidney Walk, to raise awareness

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COMMUNITY / SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

At Vifor Pharma UK, we’ve been doing annual community days since 2010. When we started, there were about 50 of us in the UK business, and it was good fun. The first place we went to was a homeless centre. Everyone painted or decorat-ed, some got their hammers out to build furniture and others did the washing up or cleaning. I still remember three of us hanging onto a wall we were painting and laughing as the scaffolding started to collapse underneath us.

There’s now well over 100 of us, so since 2015 we’ve offered more options. We’ve decorated a village hall, cleaned beaches to help the environment, volunteered at a refuge for women and their families, and cleared up the playground at a nursery so the children could go outside. We went to an animal rescue centre, taking dogs for a walk, cleaning out kennels, fixing things – even washing the dogs. Coming together as a group was the most important thing.

SHARON KINGH R D I R E C T O R , T R A I N I N G & D E V E L O P M E N T – S TA I N E S - U P O N -T H A M E S , U K


Both my parents suffer from dementia, so that’s close to my heart. We’ve been to a care home that specialises in looking after the elderly and people with dementia, putting up the Christmas decora-tions and singing Christmas carols. For me, it was giving something back and being able to say thank you to the nurses – we were having as much fun with them and the patients as we could.

Doing all this has driven a spirit of collaboration and community feeling. You get involved with people you might never come into contact with normally. But most of all, wherever we’ve been, someone at some point has touched my arm and said, “thank you.” That’s moving – you just know it’s appreciated.

For me, it was giving something back and being able to say thank you.”

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As a science-driven company, Vifor Pharma wants to advance science and innovation to improve solutions for unmet medical needs. Moreover, we believe it is essential to foster the acceptance and understanding of science and its significance for society at large. At the same time, we have an interest in improving overall science capabilities, especially among future generations, and to promote developments in our fields of expertise.

Vifor Pharma supports several initiatives to foster an interest in science and to make information freely available. We want to achieve a positive and lasting impact on communities by fostering scientific and health-related capabilities, equip-ping communities and society as a whole to meet future challenges.

In 2019, Vifor Pharma was one of the main sponsors of ‘SimplyNano 2’, a training suitcase for middle school students in Switzerland. It offers 32 experiments from a total of ten topics in the nano field, such as nano-bionic or nano-medicine. Students learn in a playful way why a Gecko can stick to a ceiling, or why a Chameleon changes its colours. The suitcase is offered by Simply Science, a foundation that aims to foster interest in natural sciences among children and teenagers in Switzerland. It brings together industry, schools, universities and scientific associations.

Vifor Pharma also sponsored ‘higgs’ in 2019, a German-language media platform that aims to make information from the world of science freely accessible to as broad an audience as possible. Higgs offers its content free of charge to media outlets, especially those that do not have a dedicated science section.

OM Pharma in Geneva supported ‘Chimiscope’ in 2019, an initiative by the Science Faculty of the University of Geneva. The aim is to enhance students’ interest in science and to demonstrate the importance of chemistry and pharmaceutical science for society. Participants were offered audio-visual tools and cutting-edge laboratory equipment related to chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical and life sciences. It is a fun, educational approach to the world of molecules and their significance for our everyday life.

F O C U S A R E A

SCIENCE & HEALTH KNOWLEDGE

P R O M O T I N G S C I E N C E A N D I N N O VAT I O N

SimplyNano 2 suitcase for middle school students in Switzerland

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STUDENTS CAN WORK AT THE SAME TIME

EXPERIMENTS

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S I M P LY N A N O 2 S U I T C A S E

We want to advance science and innovation leading to improved solutions.

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At Vifor Pharma, we value our reputation as a science-driven pharmaceutical company, and are proud of our extensive medical knowledge. We aim to contribute to the overall development of society by sharing this knowledge with the public, actively building health capabilities and know how. We are especially keen on raising awareness around disease areas we have particu-lar expertise in. This is where we can make the greatest impact in the universal attempt to improve health and promote well-being across the globe.

Vifor Pharma once again marked Iron Deficiency Day in 2019. This annual global event raises awareness of the impact that iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia have on people’s lives. The aim is to help the general public recognise the condition through its symptoms and encourage them to seek help. The 2019 campaign included numerous activities across the globe, including social media initiatives, free blood testing, public lectures and flash mobs. International organisa-tions like the European Kidney Health Alliance, The Heart Failure Policy Network and the Anaemia Community supported the event.

Rare Disease Day is organised each year by EURORDIS, the leading European rare disease non-profit alliance, bringing together over 800 patient organisations from 70 countries. Around the 2019 event, Vifor Pharma was particularly active on social media, providing information about rare diseases and disseminating patient stories. We sponsored the Black Pearl Awards, an

R A I S I N G A W A R E N E S S

annual event to recognise exceptional work in the area of rare diseases. We further participated in a charity event, organised by the UK-based charity ‘Vasculitis UK’, to raise awareness of ANCA-Asso-ciated Vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease.

Vifor Pharma Australia sponsored the Women’s Health Week in September 2019, a nation-wide campaign centred on health issues that often affect women, including iron deficiency and anaemia. For many women, stress, lack of time and competing priorities can be the reason for neglecting health issues. The initiative is driven by the Jean Hailes Foundation, running medical clinics that focus on Women’s Health.

Public blood testing during Iron Deficiency Day in Bucharest, Romania

COMMUNITY / SCIENCE & HEALTH KNOWLEDGE

We aim to contribute to society by building health capabilities and know-how.

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http://rarediseaseday.org


Audience of the 2019 SKGG congress on public health

Guided by science and our expertise as a global specialty pharmaceuticals company, Vifor Pharma is an active contributor to discussions within the healthcare community. We see it as one of our responsibilities to share our knowledge and participate in public healthcare debates. This allows us to be seen as a credible stakeholder and to contribute to more sustainable healthcare.

We encourage dialogue between the various stakeholders and seek to increase the general understanding of healthcare-related subjects. For this reason, we support selected events on topics such as health economics, health sciences and the functioning of health systems.

U N D E R S TA N D I N G H E A LT H C A R E

As in previous years, Vifor Pharma Switzerland co-sponsored the annual Swiss Congress on Health Economics and Health Sciences (SKGG) at the University Hospital in Berne in 2019. The main theme was ‘Changes in society and novel health policy’. Colleagues from Switzerland also organ-ised expert talks on the current state of the healthcare system, addressing measures to contain ever-rising health costs.

Vifor Pharma Spain supported the national meeting of ‘Cardioalianza’, a Spanish alliance of 16 cardiovascular patient organisations, by organising a speaker specialised in the Spanish regional health systems. He spoke to an audience made up mainly of patient advocacy group representatives about the way the Spanish national health system functions. Patient repre-sentatives play an important role in improving the overall health system by making the voices of patients heard.

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Key figures around the 2019 edition of the SKGG.

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OUTLOOK

At Vifor Pharma, we aim to continue to advance our efforts in all our five Responsibility Pillars in 2020. We seek to further embed Corporate Responsibility principles throughout the organi-sation. And we remain committed to learning from multiple stakeholder interactions about where our future efforts should focus.

In 2020, we aim to make progress in several important fields. We plan to finalise a human rights base assessment, and will continue to strive for emission reductions through tangible meas-ures. We will also expand our engagement with patients, making them an ever more integral part of what we do as a successful business.

Our Responsibility Committee will continue to drive internal coordination to ensure constant progress and improvement in our relevant action areas in 2020. We remain committed to improv-ing standardisation where appropriate. For example, we plan to publish a group-wide Health & Safety policy in 2020, laying out our guiding principles in this key area. Another major focus will be on expanding the engagement and alignment of our suppliers with our principles of Corporate Responsibility.

It is important to us to further increase the availability and quality of our social and environ-mental data to guide our decisions and to improve our external reporting. As an example, we aim to enhance and harmonise waste data at our production sites and greenhouse gas emissions data across the group.

OUTLOOK 2020

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To improve comparability, this report follows standard disclosures from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Standards.

The data under the section ENVIRONMENT covers mainly our production sites, Relypsa and operational headquarters, except the data regarding our fuel consumption, which also covers many of our affiliates.

APPENDIX

Since historical data were also adjusted in the year under review, the historical figures present-ed in this report may not match the figures from previous reports.

SOCIAL

Employees Unit 2019 2018

Total Number 2,794 2,716

Women Number 1,452 1,398

Men Number 1,342 1,318

Over 50 Number 898 777

30 or younger Number 287 289

Between 30 and 50 Number 1,609 1,650

In Switzerland Number 1,421 1,345

Outside Switzerland Number 1,373 1,371

Nationalities total Number 65 61

Nationalities Glattbrugg, Switzerland HQ Number 37 37

Full-time equivalent Number 2,714 2,640

Part-time (<90%) Number 209 203

Management

Total management staff Number 1,214 1,163

Women Number 539 505

Men Number 675 658

Employment

Voluntary turnover % 7.6 8.2

Promotions

Women Number 48.9 48.4

Men Number 51.1 51.6

Promotion rate Number 4.8 5.6


APPENDIX / SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENT

Payment Unit 2019 2018

Gender pay gap % 2.7 3

Training and development

Participants Vifor Academy Number 125 159

Participants of further occupational training/development programmes Number 278 234

Safety

Work-related fatalities Number 0 0

Work-related accidents Number 17 15

Non-work related accidents Number 142 30

Total working days lost due to accidents (work-related and non-work-related) Number 1,208 1,263

Lost day rate (Switzerland only) Ratio 2.46 2.58

Number of safety trainings offered (production sites only) Number 148 122

Number of employees who participated in safety trainings Number 4,985 3,687

ENVIRONMENT

Energy Indicator Unit 2019 2018

Energy consumption within the organisation GRI 302-1 GJ 224,239 217,951

From non-renewable sources

– Non-renewable sources heating oil GJ 3,570 4,831

– Non-renewable sources natural gas GJ 73,001 73,512

– Non-renewable sources diesel, petrol GJ 64,890 59,107

– Non-renewable sources electricity GJ 7,186 7,328

From renewable sources

– Electricity from hydropower GJ 67,785 65,605

– District heating 7,808 7,567

Energy produced

– Independently generated electricity (photovoltaics) GJ 464 457

Energy intensity ratio GRI 302-3

– Total energy consumption within the organisationper TCHF net sales

GJ/TCHF 0.12 0.14

Reduction of energy consumption as a result of measures implemented in the year under review

GRI 302-4 GJ 1414 113

– Reduction of heating oil and natural gas consumption as a result of measures implemented in the year under review

GJ 1129 36

– Reduction of electricity consumption as a result of measures implemented in the year under review

GJ 285 77

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Water Indicator Unit 2019 2018

Total water withdrawal GRI 303-1 m3 282,008 244,387

– Municipal water supplies m3 215,203 173,736

– Spring water m3 66,805 70,651

Water intensity ratio GRI 303-1

– Total water consumption per TCHF net sales m3/TCHF 0.15 0.15

Emissions*

Total emissions tCO2 20,911 19,606

Direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) GRI 305-1

– Heating oil tCO2e 264 357

– Natural gas tCO2e 4,116 4,145

– Fuels tCO2e 5,128 4,681

Indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 2)

– purchased electricity tCO2e 500 1,140

– purchased district heating tCO2e 249 242

Indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3)

– outbound logistics tCO2 5,105 2,697

– business travel tCO2 5,548 6,344

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity ratio all scopes GRI 305-4

– Total greenhouse gas emissions (all scopes) per TCHF net sales

kgCO2/TCHF 11.1 12.4

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity ratio scope 1 and scope 2

GRI 305-4

– Total greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1 and 2) per TCHF net sales

kgCO2/TCHF 5.5 6.7

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions GRI 305-5

– Scope 1 and Scope 2 tCO2e 73 1

Other siginificant air emissions, by weight GRI 305-7

– VOC kg 25,708 18,734

* According to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, direct sources of emissions include: pharmaceutical production (e.g. the burning of gas to

generate process heat), the production of heat for buildings, and fuel consumption of the company’s own vehicles (= Scope 1). Scope 2

emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy and Scope 3 emissions concern all indirect emissions that occur

in the value chain of a company, including both upstream and downstream emissions.


APPENDIX / ENVIRONMENT

Waste Indicator Unit 2019 2018

Total weight of waste GRI 306-2 t 1,032 1,010

By type:

– Non-hazardous waste t 740 723

– Hazardous waste t 292 287

By disposal method:

– Recovery, including energy recovery t 510 504

– Incineration t 9 16

– Hazardous waste incineration t 292 287

– Recycling t 220 199

– Landfill t 0 5

Total number of significant spills GRI 306-3 Number 0 0

Total volume of significant spills t 0 0

Waste intensity ratio

– Total weight of waste per TCHF net sales kg/TCHF 0.55 0.64

Compliance

Monetary value of significant fines and total number of non-monetary for non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations

GRI 307-1 CHF 0 0

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June 2020 © Vifor Pharma Ltd.

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2019 RESPONSIBILITY HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - Vifor Pharma

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