Atlanpole Biothérapies is a competitiveness cluster centered on the cities of Nantes and Angers. Its goal is to become an international benchmark in the development of diagnostics and therapeutic solutions based on biotherapy. Thus, it promotes research projects within 4 areas of excellence:
- Immunobiotherapies: they consist in antitumor vaccination, treatment of autoimmune diseases and control or strengthening of immune regulation, such as establishing a long-term graft tolerance;
- Cell and gene therapies: they are based on cell engineering as well as on production of recombinant viral vectors. Their purpose is to modify cells ex-vivo (transfection) and/or expand autologous or allogeneic cells in order to treat uncurable pathologies and biological deficiencies. Several such clinical trials are ongoing within the cluster, one of them being a phase I trial for an eye disease. Promising preclinical results to treat myopathy have also been presented by the Veterinary School of Nantes;
- Radiopharmaceuticals: they are drugs containing radioactive materials. They may be put into a vein, taken orally, or placed in a body cavity. Depending on the drug and how it is given, radiopharmaceuticals travel to various body parts to treat cancers or relieve their symptoms;
- Biomaterials: they refer to the development of synthetic bone substitutes for the treatment of osteoarticular pathologies that may have in particular a tumor origin. They also refer to the development of biomaterials made of hydrogels or calcium phosphate ceramics.
The cluster brings together the skills of laboratories, platforms and companies positioned along the value chain of biopharmaceuticals, from the discovery of new therapeutic targets to the preclinical and clinical evaluation, going through vectorization, transport of biological agents and bioproduction.
Atlanpole Biothérapies relies on pre-industrial installations such as the Clinical Investigation Center in Biotherapy, the Unit for Cell and Gene Therapy (Nantes university hospital), and a unit for viral vector production.
Atlanpole Biothérapies puts into contact companies (IGNA, TCLand, Chelatec, Biomatlante, Vivalis, Surfactis Technologies, Biofortis...), research laboratories (Biogenouest, Cancéropôle Grand Ouest, Veterinary School of Nantes, federative research institutes and clinical investigation centers of Nantes and Angers...), as well as international partners (RAF Science Park in Milan, Barcelona Scientific Park, Leiden Bio Science Park, BioWin, MedCoast Scandinavia...).