“What is at stake here is the health sovereignty of our country and our continent. The Immu4Cure IHU is a formidable opportunity for therapeutic advances,” said Michaël Delafosse, Mayor of Montpellier and President of Montpellier Métropole, reminding the audience of the importance of the event taking place on September 17.
Montpellier Métropole’s large council chamber was the setting for the official launch of the Immu4Cure University Hospital Institute (IHU), the only one of its kind in France dedicated to the development of treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
Founded by the Montpellier University Hospital (CHU), Inserm, and University of Montpellier, the Immu4Cure IHU intends to become Europe’s leading center for research and development in immunotherapy applied to autoimmune diseases. “There are no projects like it in Europe,” highlights Christian Jorgensen, who acknowledges the “strong support provided by Montpellier Métropole and the Occitanie Region.”
Illustrating the excellence of this project, which was selected as part of the France 2030 program in May 2023, an impressive number of representatives from the French government, the world of science and higher education, and healthcare institutions attended the event.
In addition to Michaël Delafosse, also present were: Lise Alter, Director of the Health Innovation Agency; Philippe Augé, President of University of Montpellier; Pierre-Louis Autin, General Manager of the Inserm Foundation; Sophie Béjean, Rector of the Occitanie Academic Region; Lionel Comole, Director of the Arthtritis Foundation; Carole Delga, Present of the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region; Anne Ferrer, General Manager of the Montpellier CHU; Didier Jaffre, Director of the Regional Health Agency; Christian Jorgensen, Director of the new Immu4Cure IHU; François-Xavier Lauch, Hérault Prefect; and Didier Samuel, CEO of Inserm.
“I’ve never seen so many stakeholders” present at a single official launch, observed Lise Alter, highlighting the strong union of local players around the new IHU.
Autoimmune diseases “represent a major challenge” for public health, points out Anne Ferrer, General Manager of the Montpellier University Hospital (CHU). And with good reason: the number of these diseases has been rising over the last ten years. There are over 80 of them, including Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. What’s more, there is currently no cure for most of them.
It is no coincidence that Immu4Cure was selected as one of the IHUs to be created in France, but moreover “it is the fruit of work carried out in Montpellier on autoimmune diseases,” points out Didier Samuel. “The IHU is a center of excellence anchored in a dynamic ecosystem. It was created at a time when immunotherapy is revolutionizing treatment,” adds the Inserm CEO.
As an example, cell therapy (CAR-T) has revolutionized the treatment of lymphoma. We therefore have high hopes that these new technologies will lead to the development of breakthrough biomedicines. This is one of the objectives of Immu4Cure, whose ambition is to improve and develop new cell therapy products and create a new care pathway for patients. For this, Immu4Cure also involves patient associations. The first clinical trials are scheduled for 2025.
Montpellier was without a doubt the most suitable location for the IHU. “Here, healthcare is one of our pillars,” explains Philippe Augé, who points out that the IHU will also offer training programs in new fields.
In addition to the I-Site Excellence Program and the University Innovation Cluster, the area’s assets also include MedVallée, a vital initiative that was praised many times during the speeches at the podium.
“The IHU is at the very heart of MedVallée,” noted Anne Ferrer. François-Xavier Lauch, Prefect of the Hérault department, followed suit, praising Montpellier Métropole’s work with MedVallée, whose missions focus on global issues. “The pandemic showed us just how essential health sovereignty is,” concluded the Hérault prefect.
