The scientific activity of the Institute, focused on biomedicine, is
involved in various fields of investigation. Its objective to contribute
to the National economic dynamism is reflected by its active transfer of
technology and development policy on the basis of the major scientific
results obtained.
Since 2001, 31 patent applications have been submitted
by scientists or clinicians of the Institute, with INSERM or CNRS as
applicants, in some occasions in collaboration with scientists from other
institutions. National extensions were performed in most cases, whereas
several of them are now exploited under license by pharmaceutical industries
or biotechnology companies.
A direct consequence of the variety of the scientific topics under study
in the Institute is the broadness of the potential applications of
biomedical interest covered by these patent applications:
- New diagnostic approaches (chronic inflammatory diseases,
cancer)
- New animal models of human pathologies (hepatic failure,
parasite infestations)
- New methods for drug screening (identification of
membrane receptor ligands, intracellular signaling molecules, viral
proteins; cellular models for high through-put screening)
- New vaccine strategies (HIV infection, auto-immune
diseases, cancer)
- New therapeutic strategies (cancer, HIV infection,
metabolism diseases, immunodeficiency).
Based on this industrial property, a number of industrial or biotech
partnerships were agreed, as well as partnership with the National Agency
for Technology transfer (ANVAR) for a total amount of about 100 to 200 k€ in
2003 which represents less than 1% of our total resources, salaries
included.
The following biotech companies were founded by
scientists of the Institute: Neurotech (1997), Hybrigenics (1998), Cytomics
Systems (2000), Annexis Biotech (2001), BDS Biodelivery system, CIL
Technology, Cellvir (2004); these scientists maintain an activity as
scientific advisors, or, for two of them, are presently Directors of the
company they founded. In addition, half a dozen senior
scientists of the Institute serve as scientific advisors for middle-size or
big pharmaceutical companies.
The Direction of Technology Transfer at the Institute is in
charge of the presentation to the whole staff (scientists,
clinicians, technicians, students, post-docs) of the Institute, explanation
of and advice on the concepts of industrial property, technology transfer,
scientific consultance and foundation of start-up biotechnology companies.
Indeed, since 2002, two general presentations and open discussions on these
topics have been co-organized together with the INSERM Department of
Technology Transfer and the VC investors Sofinova Partners, with the
participation of experts in technology transfer and scientific founders of
biotech companies.
