France plans to boost biological manufacturing

The French economic, social and environmental council (CES) has set out moves to help France close the gap with other countries in the development and production of biological therapies.

Yves Legrain, project rapporteur, said: "Various scientists, captains of industry and politicians have all said France has fallen behind in the development of biologicals. Apart from the fact that we need to develop this high added-value sector that exports much of its production, the fact that we are behind in this sector threatens both the autonomy of the health policy and control of health spending."

The US is way ahead of France and Europe in general when it comes to research and the same goes for biological manufacturing.

Just six out of the 66 biotech production facilities in Europe are located in France and only one new project has been announced, involving Sanofi-Aventis and its future biotech platform at Vitry-sur-Seine on the outskirts of Paris.

To ensure France becomes more competitive, the CES proposes reinforcing and better coordinating the funds allotted to research and that Inserm (Institut national de la sante et de la recherche medical) should coordinate life science research.

The CES has set out 10 draft proposals, including recommending meetings centred on patents in order to ensure inventions are adequately protected and distributed.

Legain discussed the need for a community patent and called for the scientific community to think about "patent pools" - portfolios of patents pooled by a number of companies to protect a given technology.

The CES is also calling for increased assistance for SMEs in simplifying access to support and funding.

In addition it recommends stimulating private research and proposes that agreements on medicinal product prices should include a commitment to increasing r&d activity in France.

CES also wants the coordination between university and hospital research units to be improved and calls for projects to develop studies of galenical forms that are appropriate for biopharmaceuticals.

Biological manufacturing capacity should also be developed by "mobilising specific grants to use in reconverting or adapting standard production sites under threat of closure". However, this calls for training actions.

The CES would like to see the pharma industry enjoy a strategic role but acknowledges that it would be difficult to ensure this with the current lack of transparency concerning pharmaceutical strategy and, in particular, price-setting processes.

Safety procedures should also be reinforced and evaluated on a regular basis and training courses should be modernised so that trainees find jobs after their course is over.