PARISI L E D E F R A N C EBIRTHPLACE OF A NEW BIOTECH REVOLUTION

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PARISI L E D E F R A N C EBIRTHPLACE OF A NEW BIOTECH REVOLUTION

SPECIAL REGIONAL FEATURE:

CONTENTS

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LE MONDE - NEW YORK TIMES/EUROREACH - ADVERTISING FEATURE

PARIS VIES FOR POLE POSITION IN BIOTECHNOLOGY S01 - S12

Appearing in:

NATURE BIOPHARMA

HYBRIGENICS S13

NAUTILUS BIOTECH S14 - S15

MEDICEN PARIS REGION S16 - S17

GENOPOLE - EVRY S18 - S19

GENEWAVE S20

ATRAGENE S20

CELOGOS S20

DNA THERAPEUTICS S20

SERIAL GENETICS S20

GENETHON S21

SEBIA S21

OBETHERAPY BIOTECHNOLOGY S21

NOKAD S22

UNIVERSITE PIERRE ET MARIE CURIE S22 - S23

INSTITUT PASTEUR S24

Sponsored by:

and

INTERNATIONAL WEEKLY SECTION IN:

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In association with

For a glimpse under the hood of the French bio-

technology sector, step into Yves Agid’s office

nestled in the sprawling Parisian campus of the

Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (AP-HP). As the world-

renowned neurologist describes the bounty of

biotech projects in the Paris region, his desk starts

to rumble and shake. A race car motor revs. Just as

you’re about to duck for cover from a seemingly

speed-possessed desk, Agid silences the vibrating

Ferrari-red cell phone and finishes his sentence.

“The most talented scientists in the world are

interested in Paris. We have a dream team,” says

Agid, cofounder of the Institute for Brain and Spinal

Cord Disorders,1 slated to open in 2008.

The message is (very) loud and clear: France has

shifted into sixth gear and is gaining speed in the

international race for biotech innovation.

Paris Vies for

Pole Position

in Biotechnology

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France hardly starts from pole

position. Honors go to the United

States where Bay Area resear-

chers Stanley Cohen and Herbert

Boyer invented the technique of

DNA cloning and paved the way for

a new industry based on genetic

engineering. The discovery in 1973

gave Americans an early lead. The

French, however, are catching up.

The French government has

pledged to fuel biotech innova-

tion through funding and tax

incentives. But the true entrepre-

neurial impetus lies in the shared

zeal of public and private players

to transform basic research into

profitable applications.

Stakes are sky-high and the

potential rewards – astronomic.

Biotech breakthroughs offer the

technical know-how to save lives

or vastly improve their quality.

With rocketing current and poten-

tial demand for biotechnology

products, the sector enjoys rapid

growth in an otherwise lackluster

world economy.

Global revenues doubled in five

years and topped $63 billion

(€50 billion) in 2005.2 France –

home to some 400 biotech com-

panies with 20,000 employees –

boasts a swift 25 percent annual

growth rate.3

Paris, in particular, is poised to

profit. An enviable location at the

heart of Europe and the famed

French way of life continue to

draw international talent to the

world’s top tourist destination4.

Parisian charm, however, is rooted

in pragmatism. A centuries-old

preeminence in the life sciences

makes it an international biomedi-

cal leader today. Paris’ prestigious

research centers, universities and

hospitals are recognizable, even

in non-science circles. Nearly all

the major international pharma-

ceutical companies are present in

Paris, providing fertile ground for

cultivating industrial collabora-

tions. The creation of Genopole5

in 1998 gave France a “genetics

valley” 15 miles (25 km) south of

Paris.

And from Oct. 25-27, Paris will

play host city to EuroBiO6,

dubbed the “Davos of Life

Sciences” and regarded by many

as the European counterpart

to America’s BIO conference.

Add catalysts to this rich concoction

of possibilities and a maelstrom of

activity appears. Bio-incubators,

government initiatives and an

increasingly comprehensive network

of collaborative clusters spur the

creation of biotech startups. A new

generation of entrepreneurs is

discovering that there’s no better

place than Paris to launch a biotech

startup. ■

FOSTERING

FLEDGLING BIOTECHS

Genomic Vision7, a Paris-based

startup that specializes in early

cancer detection and drug therapy

monitoring, tells a common story

of how a particularly Parisian cast

of characters fans the spark of

scientific research into roaring

entrepreneurship.

In 1994, Aaron Bensimon, director

of the Genomic Stability Laboratory

at Pasteur Institute, discovered a

technology to analyze DNA mole-

cules. For some scientists, publi-

shing the find would suffice. But

Pasteur harbored greater hopes

for Bensimon. It wished to promote

his research and, 10 years later,

had just the structure to do so.

Keen to increase income from

applications of its research, Pasteur

inaugurated BioTop8 in 2000.

The in-house incubator helps

scientists set up companies to

further develop and market their

research.

In 2004, BioTop contacted Daniel

Nerson, a Pasteur-trained scientist

who had spent a dozen years honing

his corporate skills in the diagnostics

industry. BioTop made introductions.

Soon, Bensimon and Nerson were

crafting a business plan together,

raising seed money and launching

a first round of funding.

1.

www.parisdeveloppement.com/

index.php?id=993212416&

langue=2

www.icm-institute.org

2. Ernst & Young’s 2006

Global Biotechnology Report

3. www.investinfrance.org

4. World Tourism

Organization.

5. www.genopole.org/

html/en/connaitre/cite.htm

6. www.eurobio2006.com

7. www.genomicvision.com

8. Learn more about Pasteur

BioTop and the startups

it has incubated at

www.parisdeveloppement.com/

index.php?id=993212723&

langue=2

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The Institute for Brain and Spinal Cord Disorders (ICM), a 22,000 m2 complex

slated to open in 2008, will house 600-900 researchers dedicated to creating a

continuum between molecular biology and clinical research.

PARIS VIES FOR

POLE POSITION IN

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Maquette ICM - architecte J.M. Wilmotte

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YOU CAN RELY ON LFBTODAY AND TOMORROW

LFB is a leading French pharmaceutical company specialized in the key therapeutic areasof immunology, anesthetics & intensive care, and hemostasis. Each year in France, more than500,000 patients affected by serious and sometimes very rare pathologies are treated with LFB’s19 medicinal products. LFB is internationally recognized for its ethical commitment and its expertisein ensuring the biological safety of its plasma-derived medicinal products.

LFB’s 1,300 staff are working to build the LFB group. Its key focuses are innovation to meetpatients’ needs for better quality of life, and internationalization, especially in products for the treatment of rare diseases, of which it is one of just a few manufacturers worldwide.LFB’s decision to invest in biotechnology-based research programs will make it a key player in future therapeutic innovation.

www.lfb.fr

conc

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Within two years, the fledgling

biotech company signed research

partnerships with pharmaceutical

giants Sanofi-Aventis and Nerviano

Medical Sciences.

“These collaborations let us

refine our product for the market

to further interest the pharma-

ceutical industry,” says Nerson,

now the company’s COO.

Genomic Vision will present its

research at this year’s cancer-

themed French American Innovation

Day9 in Boston.

In six short years, Pasteur BioTop10

has helped launch 15 companies.

Along with aiding entrepreneurs

with the logistics of setting up,

Pasteur grants them access to the

center’s rich resources, including

a vast portfolio of patents, highly

specialized technology platform

and world-class talent.

Pasteur is not alone in nurturing

fledgling biotechs. Entrepreneurs

find a network of support from

incubators such as Paris Biotech

Santé,11 Genopole,12 Agoranov13 and

IncubAlliance.14■

PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR

PRIVATE INVESTMENT

Bio-incubators play matchmaker

and lend considerable logistical

and technical support, but biotech

entrepreneurs still face formidable

financial hurdles.

Early-stage investment is scarce.

Betting on biotechnologies remains

risky the world over, because the

pioneering nature of scientific

exploration means that promise-

filled paths might lead nowhere.

Even fruitful lines of research

could make investors languish

years before seeing a significant

return on investment. In a business

culture that favors a three-year

cycle of return-on-investment, the

biotech’s speed-to-market is

grindingly slow. New products

could take a decade or more to

wind its way from development

to market. Once marketable, it

could take several more years to

build a reliable revenue stream

for the product.

French biotech companies, typi-

cally smaller than their American

counterparts, can lack crucial

capital to go beyond early research

and development. The French

government perceived the eco-

nomic stalemate. Understanding

the public-health stakes involved,

the state passed a series of mea-

sures to make investing in biotech

startups more attractive to private

investors. It also sought to aid

biotech companies directly through

grants and tax breaks.

LE MONDE - NEW YORK TIMES - ADVERTISING FEATURE

9. Oct. 16-17.

www.france-science.org

/faid/objectives.html

10.

www.parisdeveloppement.com/

index.php?id=993212723&

langue=2

11. www.parisbiotech.org/pbs/

12. www.genopole.org/

html/en/entreprendre/

pepinieres.htm

13. www.agoranov.com/

index_uk.htm

14. www.incuballiance.fr/

The state assuaged investor fears with tax incentives. Since

January 1, 2004, a legal framework (SUIR) enables business

angels to benefit from corporate and income tax exemptions

for providing seed money to young entrepreneurs. Last

December, French Parliament voted to prolong until 2010

tax breaks offered since 1997 for investment in “innovative”

companies made through tax-attractive venture capital funds

(FCPI). And starting in 2007, the return-on-investment of

certain venture capital funds (FCPR, a parent of the FCPI)

and venture capital companies (SCR) will benefit from an

exoneration from capital gains tax.

The Pasteur Institute is one

of many Parisian institutions

dedicated to technology

transfer and nurturing

fledgling biotech companies.

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Assemblée Nationale.

French Parliament drafted laws to

give biotech a direct boost.

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DECRYPTAGE RENDEZ-VOUSACTUALITÉS

Chaque jour,le meilleur des analyses

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The French government worked to

create networking opportunities

for entrepreneurs.

The state-sponsored OSEO15 group

was created in 2005 when the

French Innovation Agency (ANVAR16)

joined forces with the Bank for the

Development of Small and Medium

Companies (BDPME17).

Its mission: “to provide assistance

and financial support to SMEs and

VSEs and facilitate their access to

banks and equity capital investors,

in particular during the high-risk

phases.”

The initiatives have successfully

incited investment. In 2005,

investors poured €8.1 billion of

private equity into the coffers of

1,250 non-listed French compa-

nies – an increase of 55 percent

from the previous year.18■

DIRECT STATE

SPONSORSHIP

French Parliament drafted laws

to give biotech companies a

direct boost. The Innovation and

Research Act passed in July

1999 was instrumental in stimu-

lating the creation of biotech

startups.

The law lifted restrictions, making

it easier for researchers to found

companies and public and private

research organizations to collabo-

rate. It lightened the tax burden

of “innovative enterprises” while

encouraging them to hire young

scientists. This resulted in the

emergence of 10 public bio-incu-

bators, which in 2000 and 2001

alone helped create 47 startups.19

A grants initiative aided some 200

innovative companies to find early

funding.20

A slew of measures followed.

“Plan Biotech 2002” provides

seed money to startups and

government loans to more esta-

blished biotech companies. A 2004

statute created a special status

for Young Innovative Enterprises

(JEI) that gives tax breaks to

companies that recruit personnel

involved in research and develop-

ment projects.

The latest program was launched

in May 2006 and targets high-

growth companies with fewer

than 250 employees. Two thou-

sand of these “gazelles” are due

to benefit from tax breaks to spur

research and development, legal

advice and logistical support.

The government will support the

creation of a network of business

angels that will advise and finance

projects.

Regulatory authorities play an

even stronger and vital role in

promoting paths of research that

harbor no hope of producing

blockbusters. The Public Paris

Hospitals’ (AP-HP) devotion to

develop and provide drugs for

small-market “orphan diseases”

is one example of France’s ethical

commitment to treat all ailments,

not just the most lucrative.

Likewise, LFB, a state-owned

pharmaceutical company, conducts

vital biotech research that contri-

butes to therapeutic progress for

serious but rare diseases. ■

BLOSSOMING

BIOCLUSTERS

In a bid to become Europe’s pre-

mier industrial pole in therapeutic

innovation, state and regional

authorities supported the creation

of the Medicen Paris Region Hub21

in 2005. Six areas of specialization

were chosen to leverage France’s

scientific strengths: neuroscience,

oncology, medical imaging, infec-

tious diseases, molecular and

cellular medicine and drug sciences

technology.

The state strived to create a self-

sustaining structure with overarching

economic imperatives. Medicen’s

chairman must always be an indus-

trial (currently Jean-Claude Muller

of Sanofi-Aventis22). Members include

representatives from large and small

companies (i.e. LFB23, Servier24,

Ipsen25), prestigious universities

(i.e. Paris V26, VI27, XI28 and the

French Grandes Ecoles), national

research institutes (i.e. Inserm29,

CNRS30, CEA31, INRIA32, Instituts

Pasteur, Curie, Gustave Roussy33),

Europe’s largest hospital network

(AP-HP)34 and local authorities.

Votes, however, are weighted to

give industry a stronger say.

Medicen offers networking oppor-

tunities and an endorsement

procedure that has successfully

15. www.oseo.fr/oseo/

groupe/english_version

16. www.anvar.fr/

agenanglais.htm

17. www.alsace.com/

documents/Financial%20Inc

entives/bdpme_gb.pdf

18. Association of Capital

Investors (AFIC)

www.afic.asso.fr/Website/

site/eng_accueil.htm

19. According to the French

Federation of Bio-incubators.

20. www.oseo.fr/oseo/

groupe/english_version

21. www.genopole.org/

meditech-sante/en/index.htm

22. www.sanofi-aventis.com

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“Rare diseases need to be

treated too,” says Christian

Bechon, the CEO of LFB.

“From a healthcare per-

spective, focusing on niche

applications is very import-

ant. From an economic

standpoint, specializing

in lesser-targeted biotech

therapies gives France an

economic edge in compe-

ting globally.”

“The investment environment

in France has considerably

improved in the past five

years,” says Philippe Guinot,

Senior Partner of Credit

Agricole Private Equity, a

venture capital fund. “The

percentage we invest in

biotech keeps increasing.”

“

“C

opy

rig

ht

Dig

ital

Vis

ion

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secured public funding for 100 %

of proposed research and develop-

ment projects in 2005 and 2006.

A key component of Medicen is

Genopole35, one of the leading

genome research centers in the

world. In 1998, the French govern-

ment, regional authorities, and

the French Muscular Dystrophy

Association (AFM) created this

gene research campus in Evry,

30 minutes south of Paris.

Researchers, entrepreneurs, stu-

dents and doctors at Genopole have

made major advances, including

contributing to the sequencing of

the human genome in 2003.

As with the other strategic

domains, cancer research benefits

from increased consideration.

In 2003, France launched a

Cancer Plan that allotted €640

million to fight the worldwide

scourge and created the French

National Cancer Institute. The

Curie Institute36 and the Gustave

Roussy Institute37 lend support to

Canceropole38, a European-wide

network of major public and pri-

vate research bodies. ■

PARIS WOOS

INTERNATIONAL

TALENT

The French biotech dynamo has lured

overseas talent to return to native

soil. French scientists André Choulika

and David Sourdive were post-doc

students at Harvard and Emory

University when they first formu-

lated a business plan. But though

American business suitors lined up,

the two returned to Paris in 1999

to start Cellectis39, a company that

develops “molecular scissors” for

the toolbox of genetic engineers.

“Paris had the patents and the

highly specialized brainpower we

needed,” says Sourdive, now COO

of Cellectis.

Acclaimed retinal specialist

José-Alain Sahel also enjoyed an

impressive international career

– lecturing at Harvard in Boston,

teaching at University College

in London, and chairing a

department at the Rothschild

Ophthalmology Foundation in

Paris. But Sahel chose to develop

his research in France. Sahel

moved to Paris in 2002 to

head the French National Eye

Hospital’s research program, the

“Cellular and Molecular Retinal

Physiopathology” Inserm Unit,

and to found the Vision Institute.

23. www.lfb.fr

24. www.servier.com

25. www.ipsen.com/home.jsp

26. René Descartes University

27. Pierre and Marie Curie

University

28. South Paris University

29. The French National

Health and Medical

Research Institute.

www.inserm.fr/en/home.html

30. The French National

Center for Scientific Research.

www.cnrs.fr/index.html

31. CEA Life Sciences

Division.

www-dsv.cea.fr/content/

cea_eng/home/

32. www.inria.fr

33. www.igr.fr/GB/php/index.php

34. www.aphp.fr

35. www.genopole.org/

html/en/home/index.htm

36. www.curie.fr/index.cfm/

lang/_gb.htm

37. www.igr.fr/GB/php/index.php

38. www.canceropole-idf.com

39. www.cellectis.com

LE MONDE - NEW YORK TIMES - AVERTISING FEATURE

Researchers at the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) were instrumental in the creation of NeuroSpin, the newly

inaugurated neuro-imaging research center. NeuroSpin pushes beyond current limits of magnetic resonance

imaging and spectroscopy by using the CEA’s advanced knowledge. Physicists and neurobiologists will collabo-

rate with regional research agencies and universities to develop innovative tools and methodologies that apply

to neurobiology.

The NeuroSpin building at the

Atomic Energy Commission

(CEA) south of Paris.Copyright Vasconi Associés Architectes

Copyright : Observatoire de Paris / Lesia

Paris is a leader in creating innovative

medical imaging equipment. Scientists at the

French National Eye Hospital use a prototype

adaptive optics system – initially developed

for astronomy – to produce extremely

accurate, high-resolution retinal images.

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More than the French are seduced

by the intoxicating combination of

competence and collaboration.

San Francisco’s PDL BioPharma

installed its first European office

in Paris because “the location is a

great springboard for us to coor-

dinate European-wide clinical

activities,” says Tillman Pearce,

the company’s Director of Clinical

Research. ■

PRIMED FOR

PARTNERSHIPS

The rich network of institutions,

research centers, and industry

means that Paris is ideal for coor-

dinating collaborations.

As the second pharmaceuticals

market and first producer of drugs

in Europe, France is primed for

partnerships with biotech. Some

industry experts predict a future

wave of collaborations or all-out

alliances between big-pharma

and small biotech companies. With

patents expiring at a rapid clip

and meager offerings in the pipe-

line, pharmaceutical giants are

expected to woo innovative bio-

tech companies.

“More than half of all new medicines

come from biotechnology. So, yes,

collaboration is necessary,” says

Jacques Lhomel, director of

Biocitech.41 Sanofi-Aventis created

the technology park in 2003 to

bring together companies working

in the life sciences. Partnerships

are important because clinical

testing can bedevil the bottom

lines of even the biggest indus-

trials. For biotech companies with

small coffers of capital, the high

costs could cripple. Early-stage

collaborations also help biotech

companies refine their research to

better address the drug market.

Technology transfers between aca-

demia and industry have flour-

ished in the Paris region. The

National Health and Medical

Research Institute (Inserm)42, a

public organization devoted to

biomedical research and health,

currently has more than 6000

projects with foreign partners in

progress and is committed to

translating basic research into

clinical success. In 2001, it crea-

ted a private subsidiary, Inserm

Transfert43, to manage its more

than one thousand public-private

contracts. Likewise, the Paris

Public Hospitals’ (AP-HP) has an

Office of Licensing and Techno-

logy44 and its own pharmaceutical

company. The National Center for

Scientific Research even has a FIST

(France Innovation Scientifique et

Transfert)45 to “punch” through any

barriers between academia and

industry. ■

CLINICAL TRIAL :

HIGH-QUALITY,

COST-EFFECTIVE

& ETHICAL

While maintaining the strictest

guidelines46 on ethics and quality,

France cuts costs and speeds the

process of gaining market author-

ization for new therapies.

France boasts one of the fastest

speed-to-market for drugs, short-

ening the wait for life-saving

therapies while lowering the

time to collect on investments.

A special pre-market approval

procedure (ATU) makes drugs

available before they meet mar-

ket approval. Antiretrovirals, for

example, went to market an ave-

rage of 12 months before official

authorization was granted.47

France is a highly attractive place

to carry out clinical trials.48 It is

the top European producer of

scientific publications, bolstering

an already illustrious scientific

reputation.

Top quality trials are particularly

40. www.fovea-pharma.com

41. www.biocitech.com/

html/frameset_gb.html

42. www.inserm.fr/en/home.html

43. www.inserm-transfert.fr

44. www.aphp.fr/anglais/

indexanglais.html

45. www.frinnov.com

46. agmed.sante.gouv.fr/ang/

pdf/leaflet.pdf

47. afssaps.sante.fr

48. For a comprehensive

overview, download

“How to conduct European

clinical trials from

the Paris region?”

www.bioteam-parisregion.org/

pdf/trials.pdf

LE MONDE - NEW YORK TIMES - ADVERTISING FEATURE

Co

pyri

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tIn

serm

Inserm is the

French public

organization

entirely

devoted to

health

and biomedical

research.

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isc

“I wanted to create something

from scratch and everyone

(at the hospital, Inserm and

Pierre and Marie Curie

University) was very sup-

portive,” says Sahel, who long

imagined offering a broad

and continuous spectrum of

research and clinical activi-

ties under one roof. The

Vision Institute, slated to

open in 2007, is expected to

draw from public and pri-

vate funds and will include

facilities for fundamental

research, clinical trials and

industry. Sahel’s knowledge

of eye diseases also provi-

des the foundation for

Fovea Pharmaceuticals40, a

startup he co-founded in

March 2005.

“

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cost-effective in France. In fact, only

Belgium has lower costs, accord-

ing to the French Pharmaceutical

Industry Association (LEEM).49

The French benefit from state-

sponsored healthcare and produc-

tive public partnerships, like the one

that combines Inserm’s 11 clinical

investigation centers with the

world’s largest network of public

hospitals, the Assistance Publique

– Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP ).50

The high number of patients pro-

vides an abundant and varied

source for clinical trials. That they

are not paid assures that data

are more reliable and ethics are

not compromised.

Such a favorable environment for

clinical testing has resulted in

real breakthroughs. In 1999, for

example, two French researchers

performed the first successful

human gene therapy trial on

children suffering from a severe

immune deficiency disease. The

trial, sponsored by the Paris

Public Hospitals’ (AP-HP), showed

for the first time that gene the-

rapy can be used to correct a

disease. ■

BEYOND HEALTH

APPLICATIONS

As biotechnology moves toward

keeping death and disease at bay,

people are turning to products to

improve quality of life. They want

food that is more flavorful and

nutritious but takes less environ-

mental resources to grow. They

want detergents that work in col-

der water, thereby saving energy.

And they want all these technolo-

gies to be safe for their bodies

and the environment.

In Paris, the same frameworks

that reinforce red also boost

white and green biotechnologies.

The Pasteur Institute, for example,

partners with more than just

drug companies. In Nov. 2005,

Pasteur signed a joint venture

with French agro-food giant

Danone to deepen understanding

of probiotics, a healthful bacteria

present in yogurt. The four-year

program will take advantage of

Danone’s unique collection of

3,000 lactic ferments and

Pasteur’s test methods.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

with industries like agro-food is

strategic and financially smart.

France, after all, is a world leader

in the agro-food industry. As the

country’s largest industrial sector,

it makes sense for international

companies, like Swiss agro-food

giant Nestlé, to install a base in

France.

Biotech innovation has kissed the

cosmetics industry with techno-

logical inspiration. French cosmetic

giant L’Oréal grows skin cultures

in vitro to avoid testing products

on animals. The emerging field of

nanotechnology promises to shrink

particles small enough to penetrate

the skin, thereby aiding absorption

of skincare products.

In addition to making the body

beautiful, inside and out, biotech-

nology promises to protect the

environment. Many cities worldwide

use living organisms – bacteria,

yeast, fungi or plants – to convert

harmful substances in soil and

water into nontoxic compounds,

thereby reducing the need for

landfills. French biotech company

Eco-Solution51 seeks to improve

these processes of wastewater

treatment by developing new

microbial flora.

Research into agriculture and the

environment gets a boost from

the Paris-based National Institute

for Agricultural Research (INRA)52.

In 2004 alone, INRA Transfert53,

the research center’s technology

transfer arm, helped launch five

startups based on INRA research. ■

LE MONDE - NEW YORK TIMES - ADVERTISING FEATURE

49. www.leem.org/actualite/

actu2_frame.htm

50. www.aphp.fr

51. www.eco-solution.com/

pages/en/solutions-for-the-

environment/php

52. www.international.inra.fr/

research/all_about_inra_

research

53. www.international.inra.fr/

partnerships/with_the_

private_sector

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Nature Publishing Group ©2006

THE SCIENCE AND BUSINESS OFDRUG DISCOVERYAND DEVELOPMENT

Do you need to keep up with the latest in therapeutic targets and strategies, cutting-edge technologies and analysis of major issues in the biopharma world? Then turn to Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.

As well as the highest-quality reviews and perspectives covering the entire fi eld of drug discovery and development, each monthly issue includes news stories that investigate the hottest topics, timely summaries of key research papers, and concise updates on fast-moving areas such as new drug approvals, patent law and industry trends.

www.nature.com/nrd/

NRDD_feature filler.indd 1 14/9/06 10:19:01 amparis.indd Sec1:11paris.indd Sec1:11 20/9/06 14:21:5720/9/06 14:21:57

Nature Publishing Group ©2006

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EuroBiO : A PAN-EUROPEAN

CONFERENCE

“Paris will seize the opportunity

to showcase successes in com-

bining excellence in life sciences

with excellence in lifestyle,”

says Régis Baudouin, President

of ARD-Ile de France.

These strengths include prestigious

private and public research cen-

ters, a dense fabric of industry,

supportive public policy, the largest

hospital network in the world, and

a university system with a tradition

of academic excellence.

International leaders in the life

sciences will witness firsthand how

quick and convenient it is to meet

in Paris. The city’s fast and efficient

metro is surpassed only by its own

bus system, where each trip takes

the rider inadvertently sightseeing

through one of the most beautiful

cities in the world. ■

PUSHING THE BIOTECHACCELERATOR

With a lineup of foreign and natio-

nal players converging at EuroBiO

– even French President Jacques

Chirac is expected to attend – the

conference provides Paris with a

prime opportunity to bolster its

bioindustry and bioscience sector.

Fortifying financial markets is cru-

cial and the challenge extends to

all of Europe. European companies

have 10 times less access to debt

financing than their American

counterparts.55 It is more difficult

in Europe to raise money directly

and through secondary routes, such

as offering stock or issuing debt.

In order to get a Nasdaq listing,

many European companies have

conducted reverse mergers with

American companies that have

already gone public or are found-

ering.56 French drug developer IDM,

for example, acquired Epimmune

in 2005 through a reverse merger.

Though it is now based in Irvine,

California, IDM’s research operation

and majority of employees remain

in France.

Despite a slow start, the pendu-

lum appears to be swinging back

in Europe’s favor. It is increas-

ingly difficult for young companies

to go public on Nasdaq. In 2005,

for the first time, more biotech

companies went public in Europe

than in the U.S.57

After a five-year lull, the pace of

biotech investment has picked up

in France. Just last year, French

companies Exonhit Therapeutics

and BioAlliance Pharma launched

IPOs in the European market.

And a new generation of startups

has raised more than €20 million

in first-round financing, includ-

ing Cerenis Therapeutics58, Fovea

Pharmaceuticals and Novagali

Pharma.

“Paris has become one of the

most attractive places world-

wide for investment,” says

Ludovic Doutreleau, Managing

Partner of Lyllner, a law firm in

Paris specializing in investment

in the life sciences. “Foreign

investors hold 40 percent of

the market capitalization in

France.” ■

LE MONDE - NEW YORK TIMES - AVERTISING FEATURE

54. www.paris-region.com/

ard_uk/default.asp55.

According to EuropaBio,

a trade group based in

Brussels.

56. Pollock, Andrew.

“Europe’s Biotech Immigrants

to America.”

The New York Times,

July 11, 2006.

57. Nature Biotechnology,

the leading scientific journal

in its field, reported that in

2005, 23 companies in

Europe went public compared

with 16 in the U.S.

58. www.cerenis.com

The fuel for innovation is abundant

in Europe, France, and especially

Paris. But to propel the economic

engines forward, determined

drivers are needed to push on

the biotech accelerator.

France is up for the challenge. In

Paris, in Agid’s office, at the heart

of one of France’s competitive

biotech clusters, you can literally

hear the motors revving.

Paris has plenty to be proud of and the Paris Region

Economic Development Agency (ARD-Ile de France)54

pledges to spread the word. The development agency

will sponsor EuroBiO, the largest pan-European bio-

conference, from Oct. 25-27. Much in the manner of

American counterpart BIO, EuroBiO is expected to pro-

vide a forum for more than 4,000 investors, industry

representatives and life sciences professionals. The

conference is led this year by geneticist Axel Kahn and

Eric Poincelet, the former Director General of world life

science forum Bio Vision and founder of BioSquare.

EuroBiO takes place on more neutral ground away from

the U.S. biotech powerhouse. Part of “Renaissance

Europe” – or the Europe of clusters – EuroBiO gives

European stakeholders an opportunity to shine.

American participation, however, is more than welcome.

To wit, EuroBiO’s International Steering Committee

includes current BIO President, Jim Greenwood, former

BIO President Carl Feldbaum, American biotech guru

Steve Burrill, and Rita Colwell, former Director of the

American National Science Foundation.

paris.indd Sec1:12paris.indd Sec1:12 20/9/06 14:21:5820/9/06 14:21:58

Nature Publishing Group ©2006

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Nature Publishing Group ©2006

Untitled-4 1 14/9/06 17:24:26 Untitled-4 1 14/9/06 17:25:39paris.indd Sec1:15paris.indd Sec1:15 20/9/06 14:22:0420/9/06 14:22:04

Nature Publishing Group ©2006

Medicen Paris Region*A world-class competitiveness clusterHi-tech for healthcare and new therapies

Initiated in 2005 as a result of the remarkable collaborative dynamism that united businesses, clinicians and academics in their response to the French government’s call for proposals, the Medicen Paris Region world-class competitiveness cluster unites all the key life science and healthcare players in the Paris metropolitan area. Located at the heart of Europe’s leadingregional economy, the cluster constitutes the highest concentration of healthcare expertise and resources in Europe.

With strong support from the French State, the Ile-de-France (Paris Region) Regional Council, local authorities and economic development organizations, Medicen Paris Region is determined to reinforce the international competitiveness, visibility and attractiveness of the Paris region in life sciences and make it one of the world’s top metropolitan areas for therapeutic innovation.

Medicen Paris Region focuses on advanced technologies for healthcare, innovative drugs and new molecular, cell and gene therapies. Its priority themes are those where the region’s stakeholders are among the world leaders : central nervous system diseases, cancer, infectious disease and, in the technological field, molecular and cellular medicine, biomedical imaging and drug design science and technology. Interaction between therapeutic and technological themes is the very essence of the cluster and is one of its main drivers for innovation.

“Medicen Paris Region effectively integrates skills and initiatives in the elds of life science, healthcare and pharmaceutical technology. The abundance and quality of these resources in the Paris region provide an exceptional potential for innovation that deserves recognition.

Our priorities? Promoting synergies and the implementation of major collaborative projects, establishing new relationships between large companies, innovative entrepreneurs, clinicians and academics, providing support for emerging biotech companies (by building collaborative projects and identifying funding opportunities), sharing access to infrastructure, skills and know-how and encouraging new business start-ups (and thus job creation).

By working together to seize these attractive opportunities, we are aiming at becoming Europe’s leading industrial cluster for therapeutic innovation - on the same level as world leaders in the US and Asia.”

Jean-Claude MullerPresident of Medicen Paris RegionSenior Vice President Administration and Resources, Scienti c & Medical Operations at Sano -Aventis

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Nature Publishing Group ©2006

Medicen DPS.indd 2 8/9/06 11:46:21

Medicen Paris Region is based on existing research networks and coordination organizations (Canceropole in oncology, for example), the many public-private partnerships already established and a great number of large-scale projects such as the Vision Institute (Quinze-Vingts Hospital/Inserm/University of Paris VI/Rothschild Foundation), the Institute for Cerebral and Medullary Disorders (ICM) at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital (AP-HP), the NeuroSpin high-field MR neuroimaging center (CEA) and the MIRCen multimode preclinical imaging center (CEA/Inserm).

The goal? To give new impetus to all these initiatives by stimulating industry research partnerships, increasing the competitiveness of existing Paris-based companies, boosting relocation to the region and promoting business start-ups. Reducing the time period between scientific discoveries and marketing of products based on these innovations in this way is the key to success. Pierre Tambourin (Medicen Paris Region’s Vice President and CEO of Genopole) likes to quote Jacques Vallée, the French astrophysicist and inventor based in Silicon Valley: “Every time you come up with an innovative company project, you have to count on about 10 other people in the world who have come up with the same idea. Whoever can go from A to Z the fastest wins.”

Medicen’s entrepreneurs

The multinational companies that are members of Medicen Paris Region all have R&D facilities in the area. Sano -Aventis (the world’s 3rd-ranked pharma company) has 3,500 researchers at six locations which perform more than two thirds of all its collaborative projects with French partners. Servier, (France’s 2nd-ranked pharmaceutical business) devotes 25% of its turnover to R&D - most of which is carried out in the Paris region via a longstanding network of academic and industrial partnerships. This is also true of Ipsen, which (along with Servier) was one of the cluster’s founding members. Other key stakeholders include GlaxoSmithKline, LFB, Pierre Fabre & Bio-Rad France and, in biomedical imaging, Siemens Medical Solutions France, Guerbet, Philips France and GE Healthcare.

Most of the Paris region’s 150 biotech companies are located on technology parks or business incubators that are hub members: Genopole, Biocitech, Paris Biotech Santé, Agoranov, Incuballiance, Pasteur Bio Top. From September 2005 to June 2006, 32 biotech companies received public funding as part of 13 collaborative R&D projects accredited by Medicen Paris Region: Imstar, Genomic Vision, Genewave, PartnerChip, Serial Genetics, Sibio, Abcys, Cellogos, GenoSafe, VigiCell, SuperSonic Imagine, Echosens, Theraclion, Mutabilis, Apcis, Biométhodes, Oroxcell, Cytomics System, Drugabilis, Anaconda, Ariana Pharma, Medit, Immuno-Designed Molecules SA, ShigaMediX, Cellectis, Myosix, Eucodis, Oncodesign, Mauna Kea Technologies, Imagine Eyes, Fovea Pharma, Novexel.

Medicen’s researchers and teachers

More than 40% of France’s academic life science and healthcare research is performed in the Paris region within Medicen Paris Region member organizations. The region hosts half the country’s Inserm units (the National Institute for Health and Medical Research) and more than 2,300 researchers from the CNRS (the National Center for Scienti c Research) and the CEA (Atomic Energy Commission). The latter’s Frédéric Joliot Hospital Service (SHFJ) south of Paris constitutes the only medical imaging facility of its kind in the world. Other members include internationally renowned research institutes (the Pasteur Institute for infectious disease, the Curie and Gustave Roussy Institutes for cancer), the AP-HP hospital network (Paris Public Hospitals Authority, Europe’s leading clinical research provider) and the INRIA (the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control).

Last but not least: one of the major cultural changes sweeping the Paris area is the active participation of universities and other prestigious teaching institutions France’s — famous “Grandes Ecoles”— in business competitiveness-oriented projects. Project leaders include faculty members from universities such as Paris South XI, René-Descartes (Paris V), Pierre & Marie Curie (Paris VI), Paris VII Denis- Diderot and Paris XII Val de Marne and from the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Cachan) **. Even curriculum design — once a taboo subject — is being debated by Medicen partners.

*: previously known as “Meditech Santé Paris Region”.** and also schools such as the Ecole Centrale de Paris, Ecole Polytechnique, ENSCP, ENSMP, ESCOM and ESPCI

Medicen DPS.indd 3 8/9/06 11:46:30paris.indd Sec1:17paris.indd Sec1:17 20/9/06 14:22:0920/9/06 14:22:09

Nature Publishing Group ©2006

Genopole, 2, rue Gaston Crémieux, CP5723, 91057 Evry Cedex, France

+33 1 6087 8300, webmaster@genopole.fr, www.genopole.fr

Created in 1998 by an initiative of the French Government, local authorities and the AFM (the French Muscular Dystrophy

Association), Genopole is a biocluster based on an original concept: bringing together on a single site academic and private research

laboratories, biotechnology companies and higher-education institutions. Based in Evry, in the Paris Region, Genopole unites a

world-class academic research campus dedicated to genetic and genomic and related scientifi c disciplines with nearly 60 biotech

companies developing tools and products for biomedical and life-science applications.

Units from France’s national research institutions and the University of Evry, organized around several national centers such as the

Genoscope (National Sequencing Center), are carrying out multidisciplinary research in fi elds including genomics, postgenomics,

gene therapy, epigenomics and stem cells. And on the business side, Genopole provides the logistic, technical, managerial and

fi nancial support, as well as the specifi c tools and skills that are needed to promote the creation and development of innovative

biotechnology companies.

GENOPOLE®: INVENTING TOMORROW’S MEDICINE

Genopole: facts and fi gures

■ A 90,000-m2 biotech-dedicated site, including a business incubator

and accommodation facilities

■ Home to nearly 25 government-funded research labs and over

60 biotech companies (which represents 40% of all life science businesses

in the Paris Ile-de-France region and 20% of the French total)

■ Biopark labs and companies have shared access to cutting-edge

technologies such as cell irradiation, biophotonics, NMR, transmission

electron microscopy and cell sorting platform.

■ Genopole-based business have raised more than 120 million euros in

equity funding since 1999

■ 25 businesses are already generating revenue and several IPOs are

expected by 2010

■ 56% of the biopark’s companies are developing biomedical-related

products, covering all stages of drug discovery and development

■ More than 15 products from Genopole-based companies are in

regulatory preclinical development or in clinical trials

FRANCE’S BENCHMARK BIOCLUSTER

“Genopole’s biotech image, the made-to-measure business accommodation and an excellent work environment were the main reasons behind our move to Evry. What’s more, some of our new neighbours are existing customers!”Khalil Arar, Operations Director, Sigma Proligo,

a company specializing in the oligonucleotide

production that has just relocated to Genopole

An attractive location for venture capital, with a highly diversifi ed

company portfolio.

Innovative research themes and close-to-market products.

Genopole offers a wide variety of investment opportunities, which permits investors to diversify their portfolio. Many companies are

already generating revenue, in particular in the diagnostics, instrumentation and service sectors. This is the case for Sebia (capillary

electrophoresis), Nokad (novel protein knock-out models in mammals), Novacyt (cytology diagnostics), Genewave (biophotonic

instrumentation), Texcell (viral safety of pharmaceutical products), Genosafe (gene transfer vector biosafety), Biosystems International

(the discovery, identifi cation and development of protein biomarkers) and Partnerchip (service provision in the fi eld of DNA chips and

functional genomics).

Drug development companies at Genopole are mainly focusing their research in the fi eld of orphan diseases, which considerably

reduces the time to market for potential therapies. All the products in the pipelines of companies based at Genopole have been

generated by innovative technologies: monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of certain blood diseases (MAT Biopharma), focused

ultrasound treatment techniques for tissues such as thyroid nodules and vein walls (Theraclion), cancer therapies based on the

discovery of ‘optimized cryptic peptides’ (Vaxon Biotech), therapeutic agents developed on the basis of a portfolio of genes involved in

angiogenesis (Gene Signal), cell therapies for urinary incontinence (Celogos) and therapeutic proteins (Nautilus Biotech).

www.genopole.fr

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To assist with early-stage fi nancing, Genopole has set up a preseed fund called “Genopole 1er Jour” (G1J). Since its creation in 1999, G1J has invested in 25 start-ups, with individual amounts varying from 30,000 to 100,000 euros. At present, G1J anticipates a further round of fundraising with the goal of raising almost 6 million euros by early 2007. To date, G1J portfolio (18 companies) have raised 88 million euros in equity with institutional investors. Genopole is also strongly involved in the economic development of Evry by encouraging life-science businesses and major pharma companies to expand on or relocate to the campus.

As well as the services offered by Genopole to new businesses, there are also the key benefi ts of a rich and well-equipped environment: a high-level, multidisciplinary research cluster in genomics and related sciences, a prosperous industrial fabric (notably due to the proximity of multinational pharma companies, such as Sanofi -Aventis) and cutting-edge, shared-access infrastructure.

Since 1999, Genopole has been actively pursuing the ambitious goal of equipping the site with essential infrastructure for campus labs and companies. In 2007, a recombinant protein and monoclonal antibody production center will come online at Genopole, which together with the Genethon viral vector production unit (operational in 2006), will produce promising biotherapeutics for companies and academic research labs. And in order to facilitate synergies between researchers, entrepreneurs and clinicians and accelerate the translation of research into innovative therapies, a new hospital is to be built at the heart of the Evry campus.

Today, Genopole’s priority is to promote therapy-focused biotech by providing optimal conditions for company growth and progress in research. Our goal: reducing the gap between the lab and the patient’s bedside.

Genopole: a key player in the Medicen Paris

Region competitiveness cluster

Medicen Paris Region is a world-class competitiveness cluster

dedicated to the use of hi-tech in pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

The hub’s presidency has been entrusted to Jean-Claude Muller,

Senior Vice President of the Sanofi -Aventis group.

Pierre Tambourin, Genopole’s Chief Executive, has

been elected Vice President.

The research centers of GenopoleBernard Barataud, the inaugural President of the AFM, the French Muscular Dystrophy Association, was the founding father of Genopole. In 1987, he organized

the fi rst “Telethon” national TV fundraising event and two years later, he founded Genethon: a laboratory dedicated to combating genetic diseases. Genethon,

based in Evry, established the fi rst physical and genetic maps of the human genome, and today focuses on the study of genetic diseases (particularly

neuromuscular diseases) and their treatment using gene and cell therapies.

Two major national centers were created in Evry in 1997: the National Genotyping Center and the National Sequencing Center (Genoscope), France’s fi rst

large-scale biology facility. Genoscope participated in sequencing the human genome (chromosome 14 , The International Human genome Project) and

continues to be involved with those of other species of scientifi c, medical, economic or environmental interest. Jean Weissenbach, Genoscope’s Chief

Executive, was the world’s most-cited author in the fi eld of molecular biology and genetics in 2005.

These centers became part of the core of Genopole when it was founded in 1998 to create Frances’s fi rst biopark dedicated to genetics research and biotech.

New centers and programs in emerging fi elds continue to be added, such as I-Stem, the Institute for Stem Cells in the Treatment and Study of Monogenic

Diseases, headed by Marc Peschanski, whose research group was the fi rst in France to be authorized to work on embryonic stem cells, and the Epigenomics

Program, an innovative collaboration between Genopole, the University of Evry Val d’Essonne and the CNRS that brings together biologists, computer scientists,

mathematicians, physicists and chemists.

According to Thierry Mandon (Genopole President, on

the left) and Pierre Tambourin (Genopole Chief Exec):

“the existence of Medicen Paris Region testifi es to the positive dynamism embodied by our campus. For us, the new competitiveness cluster represents an opportunity to confi rm our ambitions on the world stage.”

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At ATRAGENE, we assist research organisations in the design and implementation of :

• Innovative IT solutions to integrate, visualise and share heterogeneous biological and chemical information,

• Powerful IT infrastructures to capture, manage and store large amount of data at the enterprise level.

To fi nd out how we can enhance your discovery process please visit our website : www.atragene.com or contact us at : contact@atragene.com

Innovative IT Solutionsfor Life Sciences

atragene.indd 1 27/7/06 11:35:31

Celogos is a biotech company dedicated to developing cellular therapies for the functional repair of damaged muscular tissue. Currently, the company is involved in three clinical trials that focus on the treatment of urinary incontinence, anal incontinence and some specifi c forms of ocular myopathy. On the heels of promising one-year safety data from its urinary incontinence study, Celogos has started a dose-ranging effi cacy study, the results of which should be released in Q1 2007.

To fi nd out more about Celogos, please visit our website: www.celogos.fr

M a k i n g c e l l t h e r a p y a r e a l i t y

DNA Therapeutics SA develops a disrupting approach* to ght cancer. Our siDNA acts as a bait for the DNA repair enzymes that permanently counteract the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy, and thus very significantly increases overall survival in a dose dependent fashion (see gure).Come and visit us at:

www.dna-therapeutics.com

*invented by M. Dutreix and J.S.Sunat the Institut Curie, Paris, France

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Since its creation in 1967, SEBIAhas had a major mission: to expandthe clinical diagnostic applicationsof electrophoresis trough simple,effective and innovative systems.

Electrophoresis is a well establishedtechnique used for the analysis of proteins present in the serum or inother biological fluids. It is very helpfulfor the diagnosis of pathologies relatedto cancer, the search of immune system abnormality or for the detectionof haemoglobin variants.

By developing its own research depart-ment, SEBIA has contributed to theimprovement of the electrophoresisdiagnostic applications.

Major innovations for both reagents andinstruments were launched. The mostrecent developments in the capillary

electrophoresis technology have leadto a full walk-away automation.

These continuous advances in technology as well as the high qualityof its products have contributed toestablish SEBIA as the market leader.Thanks to its subsidiaries and to theexclusive distributors that SEBIA hasspread in more than 80 countries, thecompany is enjoying a solidinternational reputation.

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electrophoresiselectrophoresis

Parc Technologique Léonard de Vinci CP 8010 Lisses - 91008 EVRY Cedex - FranceTél. : 33 (0)1 69 89 80 80 - e-mail : sebia@sebia.com

GENETHON,An integrated structure :

From Research …to clinical development and Manufactoring

«DNA and drug vectors for monogenic diseases»

Généthon is a major biotechnology specialised in advanced therapy issued from genes knowledge.Généthon, launched in 1990, is a non-pro t association granted at 85% by AFM (French Association against Myopathies) with donations from the Téléthon.

What are Généthon’s “research and development” strategy ?

We mainly focus on rare monogenic diseases (neuromuscular, neurological, dermatologi-cal diseases and immnunode ciencies) that could bene t from advanced therapies spe-cially adapted to these pathologies in order to cure the diseases : gene or cell therapies, able to replacing or correcting the de cient gene and restoring acceptable cell functions.Providing the rst human genome map in 1991, Généthon has contributed to identi ca-tion of over 2700 genes. We have then vectorised some of these genes for four diseases, among which three neuromuscular diseases and one hereditary immunode ciency.

These four developments have obtained the “orphan drug” designation from the EMEA (European Medicine Evaluation Agency).One of these “orphan drug”, the gamma-sarcoglycan de ciency myopathy (a limb girdle muscular de ciency) will be for the rst time administered at volunteer patients for a clini-cal phase IIa tolerance study.Genethon is endowed with all necessary competencies, expertise and collaborations to develop these treatments stemming from their own research.

Do you have long-term projects ?

Between 2007 and 2009, these four products will arrive at the clinical development phases in human. Three other research projects are underway and should reach these clinical phases in the next six years. By 2012, we expect at least 3 drugs to be available for patients for whom no current therapeutic solution currently exists. In order to ensure the needed quantity of treatments for the market Généthon will have, in the next three years to fourfold its production capacity for gene and cell therapies.

• Into Genopole Campus

• Contributing at Meditech Project

• Partners in European collaborations

• Many collaborations with public Institutes and private

companies

• 10.000 m2 dedicated to laboratories

• Manufacturing : 5 GMP production suites (clinical batches)

• 4 “Orphan drugs” in development

• An af liate, dedicated to Safety Evaluation for

Gene-based Therapeutics

GENETHON1 bis rue de l’Internationale - BP 60 - 91002 EVRY Cedex

FrancePhone : + 33 1 69 47 28 92

http://www.genethon.frContact : Anne-Marie Masquelier, MD

masquelier@genethon.fr

GÉNÉTHON ‘S Manufacturing1 bis rue de l’Internationale - BP 60 - 91002 EVRY Cedex

FrancePhone : + 33 1 60 91 02 10

http://www.genethon.frContact : Patricia Noguiez-Hellin, PhD, Head of ETGC, Quali ed Person

noguiez@genethon.fr

GenoSafe1 rue Pierre Fontaine - 91058 EVRY Cedex

FrancePhone : + 33 1 69 36 07 04http://www.genosafe.com

Contact : Vincent Zuliani, Business Development Manager contact@genosafe.com

For reminding…Dr Anne-Marie Masquelier,Chief Executive Of cer of Généthon

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Lean genes allow youto eat without gaining weight...

Nature did it, ObeTherapy can reproduce it.

ObeTherapy’s innovative strategy is based on the identi cation of gene targets associated with a lean

phenotype contrary to competitor’s approach, which is based on obesity genes associated with the obese phenotype. This strategy has allowed us to identify enzymatic activity responsible for the absorption of

energy. This target is validated by a rare human genetic disease associated with a monogenic lean phenotype.

Moreover, it is non redundant, peripheral and tissue speci c. In order to identify hit compounds, we have developed a rapid and sensitive assay adaptable for HTS and several tests for speci city and selectivity.We are currently validating other anti-obesity gene

targets associated with lean phenotype in men.

For more information:http://www.obetherapy.com

and/or iharosh@obetherapy.com

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The NOKAD technology allows:

• In-vivo protein inactivation based on a controlled cross-reactive antibody response

• Fast functional Knock-out in 6 months

• Functional Knock-out models in all mammals

• Easy switching of NOKAD models from a strain to another in 1-2 months and from a species to another in 1-6 months

• Functional Knock-out directly in adult animals

• Selective inactivation of proteins from alternative splicing or enzymatic cleavage

• Long-term stable phenotypes

• Inactivation kinetics

EUROPE: 4 rue Pierre Fontaine, 91058 Evry Cedex, France / www.nokad-technology.com

USA: Nokad-Bioteam, One Broadway, 14th Floor, Cambridge - MA, 02142 / contact@nokad-technology.com

NOKAD the pioneer in functional KO generation in all mammals offers youits proprietary technology to accelerate your functional characterization

Enter in the new functional characterization era with NOKAD

Nokad.indd 1 18/9/06 4:25:00 pm

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“ The Vision Institute”In 2008, Paris will have a international research centre for eye diseases “ The Vision Institute” comparable to London’s prestigious Institute of Ophthalmology.

The institute is slated to open its doors in january 2008 in a new building (5,500 sq.m) built on the campus of the Quinze-Vingts CHNO.

The city of Paris, the Ile-de-France region, INSERM, University Pierre & Marie Curie, AFM, Retina France, Federation des aveugles & handicapes visuels de France, Fondation recherche medicale, Fondation NRJ, Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, Agence Nationale Recherche, have already committed their support to the project managed by the Pr Sahel.

Technical platforms galore

The institute will function with shared technical platforms, including animal research, transcriptome and proteome analysis, biocomputing, imaging, behavioural testing, electroretinogram (ERG) and patch-clamp studies of ionic channels.

The remaining surface area will be evenly shared amongst academic sector laboratories – including the founding team, INSERM Unit 592 (cell and molecular retina’s physiopathology), directed by Sahel – and the industrial sector. On the academic side, groups under consideration represent the fi elds of developmental biology, the visual neurosciences, physiological optics, information processing, the delivery of medications, engineering sciences and disabilities.

The biotechnology sector eyes the Institute

The industrial side of the Institute will rely on an incubator-type interface, and will include a start-up development centre occupying approximately 2,000 sq.m. Companies will have access to all technical platforms, to the clinical investigation centre and to the research networks linked to the Institute.

A second building of 5,000 sq.m will be constructed at the same time. Dubbed the “rental unit annex”, it will host companies and provide hotel-type residence accommodation for patients and researchers.

All in all, 200 researchers, engineers and academic technicians, and the same number of biotechnology companies, will gravitate to the Institute once it has been launched. It is conceivable that 400-500 people will work on the site over the long run, according to Sahel – making it well worth looking into.

An international request for proposals will be launched at the end of 2006.

Pr Jose Alain Sahel : j-sahel@quinze-vingts.fr / Dr Olivier Lorentz : Olivier.Lorentz@st-antoine.inserm.fr

Pierre & Marie Curie University (UPMC, Paris 6) FranceThe largest university of science and medicine in the European Union

www.upmc.fr

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Nature Publishing Group ©2006

Pierre & Marie Curie University (UPMC, Paris 6) FranceThe largest university of science and medicine in the European Union

www.upmc.fr

The picture above, shows the Pierre & Marie Curie University (UPMC).The largest university for science and medicine in the European Union.

(Dir. des Services techniques de la Prefecture de Police, Paris)

Pierre & Marie Curie University (UPMC) is the largest university of science and medicine in the European Union.. UPMC has received international recognition for activities at the highest level, in both research and education.UPMC in Figures• 4000 researchers and teaching academics/researchers • 160 research laboratories • 3200 doctoral students • 30,000 students are enrolled (10,000 in medicine and 20,000 in science)• 150 postgraduate engineering diplomas • 500 scientific and medical cooperation agreements with leading

universities around the world • 220 theses supervised with universities outside France• 20,000 publications over the past four years

The main elds of research cover four broad multidisciplinary sectors: Modelling & Engineering; Matter & New Materials; Space, Environment & Ecology; Genomics, Cell Communication Systems & New Therapeutic Approaches

Life Science and Medicine cover: Neuroscience; Evolution & Development; Pathophysiological processes, inflammationand nutrition; Cell and molecular biology; Integrative biology; Bioengineering; Cell and non-invasive imaging; Physics & chemistry of living organisms In life sciences.

The Department for Relations with Industry and Technology Transfer (DRITT) develops partnerships between research laboratories and industry, provides assistance, expertise, for researchers, and helps them with partnership negotiations and with the protection of industrial property rights on inventions.

UPMC has established international chairs with tenure for four years. The subject areas chosen for 2005 are: • Imaging of disordered matter under extreme conditions using

x-ray techniques • Robotics• Marine genomics • Physiology & pathophysiology of in ammatory processes

The unit “Neurobiology of Adaptative Processes” belonging to both UPMC and CNRS contains more than 110 persons and is composed of 11 research teams.

The general research interests of the Unit concern adaptive processes of the nervous system, during development, in the adult, and during aging. These processes are studied at two levels of organisation: 1) the molecular and cellular level, concerning ion channels, ionotropic and metabotropic synaptic receptors, second messengers and signal transduction pathways (cAMP, ceramide, kinases…) leading to regulation of gene expression; 2) a more integrated level of neuronal networks where these molecular signals are used; this includes behavioural analysis.

The perspectives for these studies include a better understanding of certain integrated physiological processes (motor synchronisation, motor learning, memory…) as well as possible cellular bases of several pathological situations.

The integrative nature of this approach requires the use of multiple techniques, ranging from molecular biology and electrophysiology to behaviour. An important methodological characteristic is the almost systematic use of genetic mouse models (spontaneous mutants and transgenics); detailed post-genomic analysis of these animals allows a better understanding of the function(s) of these genes in adaptive neuronal processe.http://npa.snv.jussieu.fr / jean.mariani@upmc.frpm

LPESP

La Pitié Elastic Spine Pad artifi cial lumbar disc (LPESP) stems from a 12 years project initially instigated by Pr R. Roy-Camille jointly with the French Center for Atomic studies and developed by Pr.G. Saillant at the head of the La Pitié Salpétrière Orthopaedic department with the support of FH Ortopedics company and the Pierre et Marie Curie medical university. LPESP is a semi constrained prosthesis with a fl exible cushion sandwiched between two titanium plates. The device has been designed to mimic the characteristics of the physiological intervertebral disc as accurately as possible. It restores the disc anatomy (dimension, level of mobility and elastic return properties) while preserving stable spine motion (fl exion-extension, lateral bending and rotation).LPESP is implanted through an anterior mini invasive retroperitoneal access.To date 50 prosthesis have been implanted in patients with lombalgia from discopathic origin. This multicentric prospective clinical trial show outstanding performance regarding pain and disability reduction as well as operating time.gerard.saillant@psl.aphp.fr

AgoranovScience-based incubator (Paris)

Agoranov was created in 2000 by 4 prestigious French academic institutions: University Pierre & Marie Curie, University Paris Dauphine, Ecole Normale Supérieure and ParisTech. Its mission is to promote the creation of innovative companies exploiting results from academic research. Agoranov is supported by the French Ministry of Research, the European Social Fund, the City of Paris and Region Ile-de-France. Since its inception Agoranov has created 70 new companies which have secured over 25 Million € in private capital. In Life Sciences, several of Agoranov’s companies have contributed to the emergence of a strong medtech cluster in the Paris region. These companies include: Echosens (medical imaging systems); Addenfi (tools for physiological investigations); X-Medim (radiographic imaging); Picotwist (biophysical devices); and Cytorhex (cardiovascular devices). Other companies are focused on current, high profi le public health concerns, including Cryolog (food conservation); Naskeo (depollution); Medialis (health information technologies); Climpact (climate information technologies); Visiotact (solutions for independent living); Biophytis (phytonutrition); Statlife (prevention); and Zyken (sleep wellness systems). Agoranov also incubates projects in information technologies and engineering sciences. www.agoranov.com /info@agoranov.com

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Nature Publishing Group ©2006

A non profi t institute dedicated to Research and Public HealthIn its endeavor to make science available to improve Public Health, the Institut Pasteur is increasingly interacting with industry.

Licensing for success

The business development team operates with the goal of transferring new technologies to industry in major fi elds including:

Diagnostics

Immunotherapy

Vaccines

Gene Therapy

Therapeutics

Cancer

…

In response to industry needs, the Institut Pasteur proposes various types of collaborations and agreements :

Privileged Partnership Agreements Research & Development Contracts Material Transfer Agreements Licensing AgreementsService AgreementsConsulting Agreements

www.pasteur.fr

Privileged Partnership Agreements Research & Development Contracts Material Transfer Agreements Licensing AgreementsService AgreementsConsulting Agreements

Privileged Partnership Agreements Research & Development Contracts Material Transfer Agreements Licensing AgreementsService AgreementsConsulting Agreements

Identifi cation of Pharmaceutical, Life Science and Bio Technological Innovation from the Institut Pasteur research.

Pasteur BioTop was incorporated to provide a mechanism for the identifi cation appraisal and selection of innovative biotechnology projects with the aim of progressing those commercially viable through start-ups.

The graduates companies

Cellectis Celogos Cognium Diatos Eco-Solution Genomic Vision Hybrigenics Texcell

The resident companies

Anaconda Ariana Pharma Biocortech BT Pharma Theraptosis

Pasteur BioTop Incubator

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