The ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation and the Pierre Fabre Research Institute launch an Immuno-Oncology Research team at the Toulouse Oncopole Campus
The team will be part of the Cancer Research Center of Toulouse, backed by the “Institut Universitaire du Cancer” of Toulouse Oncopole
It will contribute to the international reputation of this unique medical research campus in Europe
? The ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation is dedicated to medical research on cancer and has been recognized as a public-interest foundation by the French State since May 5, 2006
? The Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT) is a joint research unit Inserm/University Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, with some teams working under the CNRS’s label
? The Cancer University Institute of Toulouse Oncopole (IUCT-O), dedicated exclusively to oncology patients, is a 300-bed hospital in association with the University Hospital of Toulouse and the Claudius Regaud Institute (‘Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer’)
? Longstanding partners of the Toulouse Oncopole, Pierre Fabre Laboratories have defined oncology as their main target in drug research and development
Toulouse (France), Castres (France), June 2 nd 2016 – The ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation and the Pierre Fabre Research Institute, both major players on the Toulouse Oncopole campus, jointly announce the launch of a new research team within the Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT). This team, which will receive 5 years of funding in equal parts from the ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation and the Pierre Fabre Research Institute, will be dedicated to research in immuno-oncology.
The team will be led by a world-class physician-scientist, specialized in translational medicine, with a proven expertise in immuno-oncology. The aim of translational medicine is to expedite therapeutic innovations by strengthening the connections between basic and clinical research.
To recruit this lead physician-scientist, a call for applications was launched on June 2nd , through advertisements in various scientific journals, including Nature, Science and the New England Journal of Medicine. The final decision on who will head the team will be made by the International Scientific Council of the Toulouse Cancer Santé Foundation and the Cancer University Institute of Toulouse (IUCT).
Through this initiative, the ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation and the Pierre Fabre Research Institute aim at strengthening their collaboration to support research on the Toulouse Oncopole site, therefore contributing to the advance of knowledge in oncology and the discovery of new treatments for patients.
“The recruitment of a prominent oncologist, with a combined expertise in translational medicine and immuno-oncology, is a testament to the Foundation’s ambition for the Oncopole: attract and finance, here in Toulouse, the doctors and scientists who will make tomorrow’s discoveries, and elevate the Toulouse campus to a level of international excellence,” said Philippe Douste-Blazy, President of the ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation, on the day of this announcement.
“The participation of Pierre Fabre in the creation of this team is consistent with the company’s decision of turning oncology into our lead pharmaceutical R&D target. Focusing on translational medicine and immuno-oncology, this team will work closely with our own research teams in both of these promising areas, as a way to boost the clinical evaluation of, and access to, new treatments for the benefit of patients,” said Bertrand Parmentier, CEO of Pierre Fabre Laboratories. “This investment also confirms our commitment to the development of the Oncopole and of Toulouse as an internationally recognized site for research in oncology.”
“Alongside chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, immunotherapy has become a key element in the treatment of cancer and blood diseases. For a significant number of these pathologies, it will extend the control of the disease and even lead to cures that are unavailable today. The recruitment of an on-site international expert at the Oncopole will allow for a perfect structuring of this activity,” said Michel Attal, Head of IUCT-Oncopole.
“Recent clinical results obtained at IUCT-O and around the world show that after decades of relentless research, immunology begins to bear fruit in the treatment of certain cancers that have been, up to that point, difficult to cure. By hosting this new team, the CRCT is expanding its research workforce in immuno-oncology so that tomorrow, this therapeutic revolution can benefit to all patients,” analyzed Dr. Jean-Jacques Fournié, Director of the Cancer Research Center of Toulouse.
“I welcome the creation of this team of excellence, which contributes to the influence of the Toulouse Oncopole. This joint initiative from the IUCT-Oncopole, CRCT, ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation and Pierre Fabre Group is an illustration of the worldwide scientific ambition of the Oncopole. It strengthens Toulouse’s commitment to innovation in the life sciences and gives support to the scientific development of the campus. Prioritizing a stronger connection between basic and clinical research is a great step forward for patients, who will benefit more quickly from therapeutic innovations,” commented Jean-Luc Moudenc, Mayor of Toulouse. About the Toulouse Cancer Health Foundation Founded in 2005, the ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation is dedicated to medical research on cancer, focusing on the development of the Toulouse Oncopole.
The ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation aims to promote and fund research and economic development towards health, including the fight against cancer. It supports innovative projects developed in the Toulouse region by fostering collaborations between professors, researchers, doctors and entrepreneurs.
The ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation was created by various companies, including Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline, Pierre Fabre, Siemens and Total. It is recognized as a public-interest foundation by the French State since May 5, 2006, as part of the national research and innovation funding system.
To find out more about the ‘Toulouse Cancer Santé’ Foundation, please visit: www.toulousecancer.fr
About Pierre Fabre
Pierre Fabre is a private pharmaceuticals and dermo-cosmetics company founded in 1962 by Mr. Pierre Fabre. Its turnover reached over 2.2 billion Euros* in 2015, spread over 130 countries. The company is structured around two divisions: Pharmaceuticals (prescription drugs, consumer health care) and Dermo-cosmetics (including the Europe and Asia market-leader brand Eau Thermale Avène). Pierre Fabre employs some 13,000 people worldwide and owns subsidiaries in 43 countries. In 2015, the company allocated 16% of its pharmaceuticals sales to R&D with a focus on 4 therapeutic areas: oncology, dermatology, CNS and consumer health care.
Pierre Fabre Laboratories have always developed durable and valuable scientific partnerships with innovators from public research institutions (CRNS, Inserm...), faculties and universities (Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne, Université de Saclay...), international pharmaceutical laboratories (Allergan, Abbvie, Maruho...) and biotech companies (Array, BioPharma, AbCheck, Cellectar...).
Through the Group’s controlling company Pierre Fabre Participations, Pierre Fabre is 86% owned by the Pierre Fabre Foundation, a recognized public-interest organization since 1999. Up to 8% of the remaining shares are held by the company’s employees and the remaining balance is held as treasury stock.
To find out more about Pierre Fabre, please go to: www.pierre-fabre.com
About Inserm and CRCT
Founded in 1964, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) is the only French public research institute to focus entirely on human health. It brings together, at the national level, 13,000 people, including nearly 3,000 in university hospitals, and has 318 research units. In Toulouse, Inserm gathers 11 research and service units, employing more than 500 permanent and temporary staff members in four hospital and university sites. Hosted in an Inserm building at the Oncopole, the Cancer Research Center of Toulouse (CRCT), a joint research unit Inserm/University Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, brings together 17 research teams (3 of which are also labelled as being part of the CNRS) and a Technology Center consisting of 7 technical platforms. The works of the CRCT’s 300 researchers, professors, clinicians, engineers, technicians and students focus on translational research in oncology, in association with the clinical units of the Cancer University Institute of Toulouse Oncopole.
To find out more about, please visit: www.crct-inserm.fr
About Cancer University Institute of Toulouse Oncopole
The IUCT-Oncopole consists of the Claudius Regaud Institute (‘Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer’) and several oncology teams from the University Hospital of Toulouse. In total, 1,400 employees use their know-how to provide optimal care on a daily basis. Coming together allows these two institutions to offer comprehensive and innovative cares on three different sites (Oncopole, Purpan and Rangueil). The Institute is located in the heart of a campus that brings together private and public stakeholders invested in the fight against cancer. Three missions are entrusted to it: provide care, research and teach. The IUCT-Oncopole welcomes 10,000 new patients per year for the following specialties: hematology, female cancers, head and neck cancers, skin cancers, certain sarcomas and urology.
Most advanced technologies for cancer diagnosis, treatment and research are available on site. The Institute features the platforms required for the development of personalized treatments, including molecular biology, cancer genetics and clinical research for Phase I, II and III. To promote research continuity, the CRCT’s and Institute’s buildings are located next to each other.
To find out more about, please visit: www.iuct-oncopole.fr
