The Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster association announces its official creation

February 4, 2022,

The Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster association announces its official creation and the appointment of leaders
A global ambition for French oncology

The Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster (PSCC) takes a new step with the creation of its legal structure and the appointment of leaders.

Announced by French President Emmanuel Macron as part of the CSIS in June 2021, the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster is now organized as an association with its mission and ambitions presented today at Gustave Roussy, in the presence of Olivier Véran, Minister for Solidarity and Health, Frédérique Vidal, Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation and representatives of the five founding members: Sanofi, Gustave Roussy, Inserm, the Institut Polytechnique de Paris and the University of Paris-Saclay.

The association is chaired by Eric Vivier, Professor at the Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Aix-Marseille University, a specialist in cancer immunology and an entrepreneur: he is one of the founders of Innate Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, specializing in immuno-oncology. In addition, Benjamin Garel, who has headed the Martinique University Hospital for the past three years, will become the association's Managing Director.

By relying on a high-potential ecosystem centered on leading sources of oncology innovation: patients, hospitals, universities, start-ups, industry, investors, national research organizations and public authorities, the PSCC seeks to accelerate the availability of innovative treatments and the improvement of care, hope and quality of life for many people with cancer. The second leading cause of death in the world, cancer kills nearly 10 million people a year. Almost one in six deaths is due to cancer worldwide.

This ecosystem will develop on the outskirts of Paris, in Villejuif, on an area of several hectares in the heart of Greater Paris, very close to Gustave Roussy. The entities involved in the fight against cancer will be able to meet there and thus energize an entire region, with influence on France and Europe, strengthening the place of French excellence among the world’s best. In addition, a dedicated building, which will be at the heart of the PSCC, the “Oncology Prospective Center,” is planned. to promote cooperation.

The association's offices will move to the Paul Brousse site this summer, pending the completion of construction.

A cluster and four pillars to transform science into value

To respond to the challenges of precision medicine and invent the oncology of tomorrow in France, Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster seeks to accelerate the maturation of innovative projects led by start-ups, biotech companies, industry and researchers, med-techs, e-techs and companies specializing in data, through an offer based on four pillars:

• A collaborative, synergistic, and integrated interdisciplinary mode allowing members to evolve within a unique place researchers, practitioners, academics, entrepreneurs, industry and investors come together. This mode will also make it easier to connect via a digital platform and to have an agile and balanced governance between stakeholders. The PSCC association plans to welcome 80 members in one year with a target of 200 members by 2027.
• An ecosystem, concentrated in excellence, with the possibility of exchanging with multidisciplinary, scientific and medical experts and access to training at a level of excellence as well as a multi-skilled mentoring offer.
• Accelerating services and technologies through a specialized technical platform bringing together a unique combination of research equipment, specialized support services to accelerate proof of concepts and easy access to samples.
• Consolidated and enriched specialized data such as deep and longitudinal data from several sources, storage and analysis infrastructure, expert support and acceleration via artificial intelligence.

The Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster will be fully part of the "France 2030" plan, announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in the field of health innovation.

Unique in Europe for its size and ambition, the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster project is based on the strong commitment of its founding members. Its international scope will position France among the world leaders in transforming science into value in the field of oncology.

“I am delighted to be involved in the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster alongside many entities in cancer research,” said Pr. Eric Vivier, PhD, DVM, Scientific Director of Innate Pharma, University Professor - Hospital Practitioner and President of the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster association. “The PSCC aims to bring together in the same region in the south of Paris expertise ranging from biology to medicine, including bioinformatics and the use of artificial intelligence, so as to discover the medicines of tomorrow that will transform the lives of cancer patients.”

"We are going to establish a dynamic and motivated team to help companies access the market as quickly as possible,” said Benjamin Garel, Managing Director of the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster association. “A part will be dedicated to the shared laboratory offer, another part to the data project and a last part to promote the establishment of companies, training and research laboratories on the cluster. We will also work in a network with other hospitals and structures that wish to participate in this momentum for innovation in the service of patients. I am delighted to join this wonderful adventure."

For more information on the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster: https://pscc.paris/

Eric Vivier

University Professor - Hospital Practitioner, Doctor in Immunology from Paris-Saclay University and trained at Harvard, Eric Vivier directed the Marseille-Luminy Immunology Center, a research center under the supervision of Inserm, CNRS and from Aix Marseille University, from 2008 to 2017. Combining research and entrepreneurship, he is one of the founders of the biopharmaceutical company Innate Pharma, of which he is now scientific director. He is also one of the founders of Marseille Immunopôle, an immunology cluster.

Benjamin Garel

A polytechnician engineer, Benjamin Garel worked for several years within the framework of competitiveness clusters, in the regions and at the General Directorate for State Modernization. He then worked as Director of Quality at the Grenoble University Hospital, Director of Operations at the AP-HP and he managed the Martinique University Hospital for 3 years.

Media Relations Contacts

Sanofi
Chrystel Baude
Tel: +33 6 70 98 70 59
Email: chrystel.baude@sanofi.com

Gustave Roussy
Claire Parisel
Tel: +33 6 17 66 00 26
Email: claire.parisel@gustaveroussy.fr

Inserm
Priscille Riviere
Tel: +33 6 89 32 87 74
Email: presse@inserm.fr

Polytechnic Institute of Paris
Mathilde Ordas
Tel: +33 6 30 30 02 62
Email: mathilde.ordas@polytechnique.edu

Paris-Saclay University
Gaelle Degrez
Tel: +33 6 21 25 77 45
Email: gaelle.degrez@universite-paris-saclay.fr