History

The RIGHT Institute, a branch of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research based at the French Blood Bank in Besançon, developed in 1998 one of the first gene-modified cell therapy in the context of bone marrow transplantation to tackle leukemia while preventing host rejection. From that time, the RIGHT institute continuously developed innovative therapies from gene-modified cells to biological drugs, including other cell therapies and RNA-based anti-tumor vaccines.

 

More recently, two CAR-T cell-based approaches emerged from the RIGHT institute, boosted by the scientific background of the local researchers, the economic local tissues, and the expertise of the local CRO, CDMO, and the ATMP pharmaceutical suites from the French Blood Bank. Based on these successes and also on the hurdles faced during the translational development phase to bring these innovations to the patient bedside, we decided Dr. Sylvain Perruche and Dr. Christophe Ferrand, to organize a congress dedicated to sharing translational experiences to develop an innovative drug for the market.

 

The first edition in 2021 in Besançon welcomed the world’s leading players specialized in the development of innovative therapies, from their production to their regulatory framework. Clinicians and scientists from the private and academic spheres presented their latest scientific advances on the development of CAR-T cells, stem cells, or pluripotent cells, focusing on their transfer to clinical trials and the challenges of their industrial production.

 

The success of this first edition of the « Innovative Therapies Days » based on the quality of the invited speakers, and exchanges between partners at the Exhibitors’ Village and during B2B sessions, pushed us to transform those days into a series of annual international meetings.

 

Now,a solid scientific board composed of Dr. Sylvain Perruche (RIGHT Institute), Dr. Christophe Ferrand (RIGHT Institute), Dr. Sylvie Mercier (RD-biotech), Dr. Agnès Fourcot (PMT), and organizers (Marie-Elisabeth Benoit & Anthony Nolot, PMT) board select the coming innovative therapies to propose a high-level program every year.