Innovation champions are here
Immunotech: a "success story"
Founded in 1982 by researchers from the Center of Immunology in Marseille-Luminy and teachers from the Faculty of Science in Luminy, Immunotech designs, develops and manufactures monoclonal antibody reagents for research and diagnosis purposes: kits for 'biological analysis, antibodies for cell typing, therapeutic applications in the R & D phase. Their applications include analyses specific to endocrinology, immunology and oncology.
Founded in 1982 by researchers from the Center of Immunology in Marseille-Luminy and teachers from the Faculty of Science in Luminy, Immunotech designs, develops and manufactures monoclonal antibody reagents for research and diagnosis purposes: kits for 'biological analysis, antibodies for cell typing, therapeutic applications in the R & D phase. Their applications include analyses specific to endocrinology, immunology and oncology.
Immunotech employs 170 people in Marseille and they earn most of their sales revenues from exports.
To reinforce their position as leader for some of their products in Europe and continue to develop, Immunotech became a subsidiary of the American Group Beckam-Coulter in 1997.
Innate Pharma: a company with high potential
Founded in 1999 and financed by venture capital leaders until its IPO in 2006, Innate Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company that develops first-in-class drugs with new mechanism of action targeting the innate immune system. Innate Pharma completed the largest fundraising drive in France among biotech companies (roughly 85 million Euros) with investors such as Sofinnova Partners (France), Alta Partners (USA), GIMV (Belgium), NIF SMBC (Japan ) or Gilde Biotech & Nutrition (Netherlands). Its partnership with Novo Nordisk A / S (Denmark) has generated over 27 million Euros in licensing revenue since 2003.
The pioneering work of Innate Pharma’s scientific founders and research groups has led to the development of three product platforms each directly or indirectly validated in clinical oncology settings. Besides oncology, Innate Pharma’s drug candidates have development potential in the treatment of infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases
Innate Pharma is based in Marseille (Head Office), Lyon and New York (a 100% subsidiary company was created in March 2008). It employs 91 people of whom 75% work in R & D.
A network of biotech start-ups
The 2000s proved to be particularly fertile for the creation of start-ups in various fields of biotechnology. They make up a continuously growing network. These include:
- Biovays: biomarkers for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries
- Dynabio: Pancreatitis-associated protein, medical diagnostic kits
- ICDD (Innovative Concepts in Drug Development): markers of drug toxicity and efficacy
- Inodiag: diagnostic kits for infectious diseases, autoimmune conditions and allergies
- Invivoscribe Technologies (USA): in vivo cDNA synthesis and advanced technologies for molecular diagnosis of cancer and infectious diseases
- Ipsogen : manufacture of DNA chips
- Génoscience Pharma: development of new drugs for the treatment of viral diseases
- Modul Bio: manufacture of specialized laboratory reagents
- OZ Biosciences: Manufacture of laboratory reagents specialized in the transport of molecules (biocarriers)
- Pharmaxon: discovery and development of drugs for the treatment of neurological disorders
- Urrma R & D: development of innovative products for the treatment and prognosis of patients infected with HIV
- Trophos: production and screening of small molecules with therapeutic potential for neuro-vegetative diseases
- Synprosis: synthetic peptides for therapeutic and primarily vaccine use
