Institut Pasteur Innovation Accelerator: projects selected in 2021

The Institut Pasteur Innovation Accelerator was set up in 2019 to de-risk the most promising research applications, boost their socio-economic transferability and thereby speed up the transition between the lab and the marketplace for medical products.

The project engineering approach proposed by the Innovation Accelerator combines funding strategies, technical support and professional expertise from the Technology Transfer and Industrial Partnership Department (DARRI). This approach should help improve the maturity of the selected projects and bring them into line with industrial requirements and needs, thereby making them viable, attractive candidates for industry partners, charitable organizations or the launch of startups.

 

The projects selected in 2021

 

Following a process of examination (see details of the process below), the President of the Institut Pasteur selected 15 projects for inclusion in the Innovation Accelerator in 2021.

Five projects underwent a standard process:

•  Microbiota-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, PI: Damien Rei

•  A capture antibody (mAb 1B6) targeting rocuronium to reverse profound neuromuscular blockade, PI: Pierre Bruhns

• MOPEVAC, an innovative and versatile live-attenuated viral vector vaccine platform, PI: Sylvain Baize

• Circulating biomarker signatures for the detection of gastric preneoplasia and cancer, PI: Eliette Touati

•  Development of in vitro diagnostic tests to explore sources of allergies, assess severity, guide therapy, PI: Thierry Rose

In parallel, ten projects followed a fast-track process introduced in 2021. This process is a way of bringing projects of strategic importance for the Institut Pasteur into the Innovation Accelerator in recognition of the work already achieved in terms of development and transfer.

The projects selected for the fast-track process are as follows:

•    Smart Annotation For ARtificial Intelligence (SAFARI), PI : Jean-Christophe Olivo-Marin,

•    GLYCOSHIG, a glycoconjugate vaccine candidate against shigellosis, PI : Laurence Mulard / Armelle Phalipon,

•    ICY, an open community platform for bioimage informatics, PI : Jean-Christophe Olivo-Marin,

•    DIVA, a virtual reality medical image solution, PI : Jean-Baptiste Masson,

•    THERAMAB,qqead » an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody, PI : Hugo Mouquet,

•    Early 2020 production of recombinant nucleoprotein (N) from emerging SARS-CoV- 2, and of anti-N polyclonal antibodies to enable development by Bio-Rad of a serological COVID-19 kit, PI : Nicolas Escriou/ S Petre / P Lafaye

•    Lenti-covid, a vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 virus based on lentiviral technology,  PI : Pierre Charneau / Laleh Majlessi

•    Early 2020 RTqPCR development for the specific and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 Virus, PI : Sylvie van Der Werf

•    RT-LAMP Assays for rapid and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus, PI : Jean-Claude Manuguerra

•    A high throughput assay for SARS-Cov-2 sero-neutralization via S pseudo-typed vectors, PI : Pierre Charneau

 

The selection process

 

Projects are included in the Innovation Accelerator after a selection process aimed at identifying the most promising scientific projects in terms of their ability to generate products that will have a public health impact.

Four main criteria are analyzed:
•    science and the disruptive aspects of the innovation,
•  the strength of associated patents and dependence on other technologies,
•    product development based on internal capabilities and partnerships,
•    the potential market, its accessibility and competitive developments.

Inclusion in the Innovation Accelerator is a decision taken by the President of the Institut Pasteur on a proposal by the DARRI, following an examination of the projects by the dedicated committee.

This committee calls on a panel of internal and external experts with recognized scientific industry expertise.

Find out more about innovation funding at the Institut Pasteur (in French)