The purpose of the company is clinical research. The company may also participate in companies in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, computer science or related fields. The company may establish subsidiaries and branches in Switzerland and abroad. The company may acquire, manage, encumber and sell participations in Switzerland and abroad. Furthermore, in compliance with applicable legal provisions (in particular the Federal Act on Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners), the company may acquire, manage, encumber and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad. The company may provide financing of any kind for its own account or for the account of third parties and/or take advantage of such financing, and in particular enter into credit or security transactions (including the granting of pledges, security assignments and transfers, guarantees, sureties, declarations of patronage, indemnification obligations and economic benefits associated with such transactions), for consideration or free of charge, with, for the benefit of and/or in relation to liabilities of direct or indirect shareholders, subsidiaries and other affiliated companies, even if such financing, credit or security transactions are in the exclusive interest of direct or indirect shareholders and/or affiliated companies. The company may engage in any other activity that is directly or indirectly related to the aforementioned purposes.