The key facts about the biomanufacturing sector

👉 Telethon: an innovation in need of industrial partners

The 39th edition of the Telethon ended with €83.5 million in pledges. With more than 20,000 events organized in numerous cities across France last weekend, it was also an opportunity to raise awareness among the French public about rare diseases and medical research into gene therapies. To date, around 20 drug candidates are being developed by Généthon, including 12 in clinical trials. However, when interviewed by Les Echos, Frédéric Revah, director of Généthon, expressed concern about the difficulties in industrializing these solutions. "The problem is finding funding for industrial production facilities."

👉 HealthPhase: an accelerator for the microalgae health sector

On December 1, HealthPhase – Microalgae & Health was inaugurated in Saint-Nazaire, a unique R&D demonstrator in France dedicated to microalgae bioproduction for health. This innovative academic platform covers all stages, from microalgae cultivation in photobioreactors to the extraction and purification of molecules of interest, with the aim of producing the first pre-GMP batches for clinical trials by 2026. The Atlanpole Biotherapies competitiveness cluster—which has more than 200 members and has certified nearly 984 projects—welcomes this achievement, which strengthens the region's position among France's leaders in microalgae development.

👉 EBI restructures its Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology

The School of Industrial Biology (EBI, in Cergy) is reconfiguring its Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology around two distinct tracks to respond to recruitment pressures in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. The Formulation & Sensory Analysis track aims to train technicians capable of designing formulations, conducting sensory tests, and ensuring quality control. The Bioprocesses & Bioproduction track prepares students for cultivation processes, scale-up, and quality control. “By refocusing our offering around two flagship tracks, we are strengthening the alignment between training and the needs of businesses,” emphasizes David Jung, academic delegate at EBI.