Paris (AFP)

Massive investments, simplification and decompartmentalization between public and private research actors: Emmanuel Macron unveiled on Tuesday a plan to boost research and innovation in health, after the French failure to quickly discover an anti-vaccine. Covid.

The pandemic has passed this way, highlighting French dependence abroad in the drug sector, but also the delay in certain technologies, such as that of messenger RNA.

"On the research side, I cannot do a huge cocorico", admitted the President of the Republic, presenting the Health Innovation 2030 strategy.

"We have clearly under-invested during the 15-20 years which have just passed" he still regretted.

The President therefore wants, through this plan, which is based on the analysis carried out by the experts appointed by the Strategic Council of the Health Industries, to rebuild France into an innovative nation in health.

And for this, the State will invest 4 billion euros of public funds.

To which should be added "at least as much of the private", according to the head of state.

The State wants to reinvest massively, mainly in three areas, with in particular: 800 million euros will be devoted in particular to biotherapies (supplemented by two billion private funds), these innovative therapies which include messenger RNA, the engine of vaccines stars of Pfizer and Moderna against the Covid.

650 million will be devoted to digital health (1.5 billion private funds) and 750 million for emerging and infectious diseases, said the Elysee.

In these four billion public funds are also 400 million euros for priority research programs.

But also 600 million to create "clusters", otherwise known as sites integrating research, care, private actors and industrial development of discoveries.

- Clusters -

One of them, focused on cancer, will be linked to the Institut Gustave Roussy (IGR), in collaboration with Polytechnique, Saclay, Sanofi and Inserm, in the Fort de la Redoute, former buildings of the Ministry of the Interior, told AFP the director general of the IGR, Professor Jean-Charles Soria.

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The State will also finance several tens of millions to allow future talents to create their research laboratory in France, with three to five million each.

For SMEs and health start-ups, two billion euros will be mobilized through the public investment bank BpiFrance.

Finally, 1.5 billion euros will support European industrialization projects.

Another objective: to simplify the procedures.

The Head of State wants much faster access to innovative products to the market, with the multiplication of "fast tracks", which allow a treatment to be authorized more quickly when its human benefit is important, as the United States do. .

Finally, a healthcare innovation agency will soon see the light of day to allow the synergy of actors around a single structure.

This plan has been well received by representatives of the health industries, who regularly call for measures to encourage innovation.

"The measures announced (...) will give us the means to restore the competitiveness and attractiveness of France", underlined Frédéric Collet, president of the French drug federation Leem.

For its part, the association of medical technologies Medtech in France welcomed "concrete measures for companies and investors in the sector".

© 2021 AFP