Ways to relaunch French pharmaceutical research
Researcher at the vaccine unit of French drug manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur in Marcy-l'Étoile, near Lyon, on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 (Illustrative photo).
Gonzalo Fuentes / AP
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After the delay taken by Sanofi in the development of its anti-Covid-19 vaccine candidate, the Pasteur Institute announced the abandonment of research on its main vaccine project against the coronavirus on Monday.
France has therefore not really shone in this race and the Economic Analysis Council has also noted a delay in pharmaceutical research.
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The Economic Analysis Council (CAE) recommends increasing public funding allocated to basic research.
The country must adapt to the new research landscape, which is more oriented towards biology and genomics.
More complex and costly research, whereas in recent years funding has declined.
Excluding the research tax credit, funds for research and development for health fell by 28% between 2011 and 2018, or a billion dollars less.
The CAE also suggests promoting links between universities and start-ups.
Administrative simplifications, promotion of generics ...
Another recommendation is to reserve public funds for funding clinical trials with high standards of scientific evidence.
France is indeed carrying out a lot of trials and could nurture the ambition to become a European leader, if these funds were better allocated.
More flexibility on prices and administrative simplification would also be favorable.
On this last point, the note notes that it takes 489 days between authorization and marketing in France, against 119 in Germany.
The State must also evaluate the promotional measures for generics.
The share of these drugs is 30% in France, much lower than the German market.
The funds thus saved by the state could be invested in research.
The ACE also suggests reviewing patent rules at European level to establish durations adapted to the degree of innovation.
And at the European level, for certain pathologies deemed to be priority, he finally recommends launching competitions for pharmaceutical innovations, and making a credible commitment in advance to finance the amount could be another key.
►Also read: In the race for the anti-Covid vaccine, French research is trampling
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