[Poster] Organoids and organs-on-chip in gene and cell therapy: which innovation strategies in France?

HAL: https://sciencespo.hal.science/CERIC/halshs-05314478v1 

Abstract

Organoids and organs-on-chip (O&OOCs) technologies are quickly becoming ubiquitous in health research and may also offer new perspectives in healthcare in the future. In the field of gene and cell therapy, they are mainly used in pre-clinical development for disease modelling, drug screening and toxicology. They also share a special connection with Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products – the legal category under which they would fall under if used as medicines in the future. To harness their potential, combined efforts from researchers, start-ups, industrial manufacturers, investors and regulatory bodies are required to structure this new technological sector and provide adequate funding. In France, stakeholders involved in pre-clinical and clinical research are organizing themselves around this novel technological sector by establishing new partnerships. Their aim is to standardize practices at the national level to elaborate and define new norms and standards in collaboration with national regulatory agencies that could subsequently be submitted to European decision-makers. In parallel, the necessary funds are being provided under the national strategy France 2030, a multiannual, 54-billion-euros plan designed to massively invest in innovative technologies. One of the Priority research programmes and equipment (PEPR) under this plan is specifically dedicated to funding research on O&OOCs for 48,4 million euros. France 2030 also contains an 800 million euros Health Innovation Plan with earmarked funds for Biotherapies and Bioproduction of novel therapies. Thus, a variety of financing options are available to researchers, start-ups and industry partners that are either working specifically on O&OOCs or using them in their research, including in the development of health technologies’. This poster will provide an overview of the ongoing efforts to structure and finance this fast-growing technological sector in France. It will illustrate and discuss how the highly innovative and cross-cutting nature of O&OOCs enables them to benefit from both targeted and broad innovation strategies, including those related to gene and cell therapy. This work aims to support European stakeholders in identifying French networks and potential partners, as well as inspire similar initiatives abroad.

Poster

Authors

Adrien Bottacci, PhD Student in European health law, UMR 7268 ADES CDSA / UMR 7318 DICE CERIC, Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France

Guylène Nicolas, Professor, UMR 7268 ADES, CDSA Health Law Centre, Aix-en-Provence, France 

Aurélie Mahalatchimy, EuroGCT WP4 Convenor, UMR 7318 DICE CERIC, Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, Aix-en-Provence, France

To be cited as: 

A. BOTTACCI, G. NICOLAS, A. MAHALATCHIMY, Organoids and organs-on-chip in gene and cell therapy: which innovation strategies in France? ESGCT 2025, 7-10 October 2025, Sevilla, Spain (POSTER).