Infectious and emerging diseases: the biocluster project in Occitanie
Biocluster TB4T: Desire to accelerate the development of biotherapies and vaccines in France
This program, led by Pr Louis Buscail and bringing together the Toulouse University Hospital, the BioNet company and Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier University, aims to respond in the short term. urgent need for innovative vaccines in the field of infection and emerging diseases.
medium term, DNA and RNA technologies will enable the development of treatment methods in other therapeutic areas.
Members of the Toulouse Biocluster (Toulouse Biocluster for Innovative Therapies – TB4T) have a passion for creating an environment that promotes innovation and start-ups, training and information exchange, as well as international collaborations.
The challenge is also to localize the production of medicines in the Occitanie region to allow France strategic autonomy.
Physician coordinator of the Biotherapy module of the Toulouse Clinical Research Center (CIC) (CHU / Inserm / UT3 – Paul Sabatier), Pr Louis Buscail has more than 15 years of experience in the development of innovative medicines. It is supported in the structuring of the project by the biotherapy module of Toulouse CIC and Innov ‘Pôle Santé (IPS), the innovation acceleration platform of Toulouse University Hospital.
Jean-François Lefebvre, Director General of the University Hospital of Toulouse:
“Toulouse University Hospital is one of France’s centers of excellence in care and research among university hospitals. Our teams have been involved in biotherapy for many years through CIC’s Biotherapy module, a co-teaching and research structure, nationally and internationally recognized. The TB4T Biocluster is the concretization of this strong participation and should enable the development and acceleration of new DNA/RNA technologies within the scientific ecosystem and industry, where the expertise of Pr BUSCAIL and his teams is particularly recognized. around the project”.
Professor Jean-Marc Broto, President of the III University of Toulouse – Paul Sabatier:
“Our university, along with its historical partners, invests heavily in the training of future professions, especially biotechnologies, especially in a world undergoing rapid technological change. The Toulouse TB4T Biocluster based on DNA/RNA therapies is a good example. »
Pham Hong Thai, Managing Director of BioNet:
“We are delighted that our teams based in Lyon and Bangkok have the opportunity to collaborate with Toulouse Central Hospital (CHU) and Toulouse III University – Paul Sabatier on the Biocluster project in France. BioNet has contributed to the creation of bioclusters in several countries for vaccine development. We recently established an end-to-end manufacturing process to produce DNA and mRNA vaccines. Access to these technological platforms, already validated in the clinic, enables the development of innovative drugs in record time. »
About Toulouse University Hospital
The University Hospital of Toulouse treats approximately 280,000 patients annually, making it the fourth largest hospital in France in terms of activity. CHU offers a wide range of care, teaching, research and innovation in most areas of health, from prevention to innovative treatments. 2255 research projects are ongoing, including 532 initiated by CHU. More than 8,000 participants were included in these studies, and 534 experts are responsible for this activity with a total budget of more than 27 million euros.
For more than fifteen years, Toulouse University Hospital, as a promoter, has been developing research protocols for biotherapies in collaboration with III Inserm-University of Toulouse – Paul Sabatier research units and regional industrialists, of which about 10 are currently underway. .. These clinical trials combine biotechnologies applied to gene therapy, cell therapy and monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of diseases as diverse as cancer, cardiovascular, autoimmune, neurodegenerative and genetic. The establishment of the Toulouse TB4T Biocluster will enable the development of DNA- and RNA-based vaccines and innovative therapies along the value chain and will form a responsive and flexible window. https://www.chu-toulouse.fr/
About BioNet
BioNet is a biotechnology organization that shares its expertise and innovation to ensure rapid access to vaccines. Based in France and Thailand, BioNet creates genetically engineered vaccines and manufactures Pertagen®, the world’s only recombinant pertussis vaccine containing genetically inactivated pertussis toxin. BioNet has also established technology platforms to produce DNA and mRNA vaccines, with 10 ongoing projects in preclinical and clinical research. BioNet advances global research in collaboration with world-renowned scientists and organizations (including the Pasteur Institute, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, CEPI, and IVI). BioNet is also at the start of an unprecedented alliance with several vaccine manufacturers, enabling 10 billion doses of polio vaccine to be administered over 20 years. Finally, BioNet has contributed to the development of bioclusters for vaccine evaluation and production in India, Africa and Australia. www.bionet-asia.com and www.bionet.one
About Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier University
Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier University is one of the main French universities with more than 37,000 students. The diversity of its laboratories and the quality of its teaching in the fields of science, health, sports, technology and engineering have ensured its scientific influence for more than fifty years.
The university has 64 research-oriented laboratories and federative structures. From atomic to exoplanets, from big data to oncology, from human and social sciences to ecosystems, the range of research is extremely wide and first-rate. It is recognized among the 300 best universities in the world and is included in the top 10 French universities according to the Shanghai ranking (Academic Ranking of World Universities).
4 heavily involved in its CNRS research unit, it received the “HR Excellence in Research” label from the European Commission on June 30, 2020. He will fully participate in the scientific support of the projects submitted to the TB4T Biocluster.
UT3 is also one of the pillars of this project in terms of training through the establishment of the Health Education and Research Center of the University – CUERS, which is the result of the merger of 4 health faculties. It is a unique structure in France that allows the connection between fundamental biology, health professions and continuing education in the health sector, down to micro-certifications and skills blocks. Also, its investment will focus on the lifelong training of personnel in the sector, both at the initial level of training in biotechnologies and through the proposed school factory in Biocluster TB4T Occitanie. https://www.univ-tlse3.fr/
Additional Information :
- Toulouse University Hospital: ratineaud.m@chu-toulouse.fr
- University of Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier: helene.sovignet-pont@univ-tlse3.fr
- BioNet Europe, Lyon, France: info@bionet.one
- BioNet Asia, Bangkok, Thailand: info@bionet-asia.com
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Infectious and emerging diseases: the biocluster project in Occitanie
