LPG Systems, Surgical Dexterity and ImmunID are just a few of the innovative companies that have embraced the potential of medtech. This sector is a promising one with many outlets. It will be represented at the Medi'Nov Connect trade fair in Grenoble on April 8-9.
Nicolas Pasqual, co-founder and scientific director of the company, says that "the initial idea - and dream-- was to develop an innovative way to analyze patients' immune systems for everyday use in hospitals or clinics". ImmunID employs approximately twenty people in Grenoble and Isere. It was founded in 2005 and developed the ImmunTraCkeR, accompanied with software, that allows patients to access all aspects of their immune diversity through a simple blood test. The lymphocytes are the famous white blood cells that protect us from illness and infection. He notes that the importance of the immune system for oncology has increased globally. Immunotherapies are used to stimulate immune responses in order to treat certain diseases.
ImmunID is a pioneer in its field and "three to four years ahead of its competitors". ImmunID works with physicians and pharmaceutical companies to optimize medical treatment for skin cancer. He says, "We are moving towards precision medicine, even further personalized, because even immunotherapy doesn't always work." We will be able give the right drug to the patient with less side effects and more efficiency if we have a clear diagnosis of the immune system. Everyone wins, even Social Security. The test has been subject to clinical trials in France on hundreds of metastatic melanoma patients. Although the results are expected to be available within three years, the technology could be applied immediately in the United States. Globally, the ImmunID market is worth several billion euros. You may require such a diagnosis at any time in your life. This sector is expected to grow. Although immunotherapy was only 1% of cancer treatments three years ago, it should rise to 60% by the end of the decade!
ImmunID is one hundred companies that make up Isere medtech, specializing on health technologies i.e. Medical devices and equipment. They are a pillar of the local economy, and also one of its specialties. Their turnover is 4.1 billion euros. The idea of Grenoble becoming a "Medtech City" is gaining momentum. It's a very rich and vital sector thanks to the Grenoble tritych, which includes training with the UJF and Grenoble–INP, as well as research excellence with CEA-Leti and the CHU. There are also medtech companies, ETIs, world leaders and start-ups. Vincent Tempelaere is the president of Medic@lps which is a cluster within the Grenoble–Isere healthcare sector. He is also the CEO of Eveon, an Isere-based company that specializes in smart devices to prepare and administer drugs. This sector is the most lucrative, thanks to the American giant Becton Dickinson, which employs almost 1,600 people in Pont-de-Claix, Isere. It designs minimally invasive medical devices that allow for targeted injections of active agents. This is especially useful in the treatment of cancer.
This market is crucial for medtech, with cancer cases predicted to rise by 75% by 2030. This market brings together many therapeutic areas, including surgery assistance. Fluoptics, a Grenoble-based company that specializes in fluorescence imaging allows surgeons to remove tumors and metastases with precision. Numerous companies are also involved in diagnosing diseases. These include Roche Diagnostics in Switzerland, the Grenoble-based start-up Avalun, and the Swiss leader Roche Diagnostics in Europe. It has created a portable laboratory that allows for rapid results on a variety of biological analyses. It is expected to be available on the European market this year. Vincent Tempelaere comments, "We are at the crossroads between technological platforms, microelectronics and embedded software... Knowhow that medtechs applied in their fields". These are very innovative companies. "Innovation is essential in medicine. Pascal Barrier, co-founder and president of Haute-Savoie-based Dexterite Surgical (see the opposite), says that we cannot abandon progress.
Medical equipment is another sector. Euroteknika specializes in dental implants in Haute-Savoie. OSD in Vaucluse is an innovative surgical prosthesis for the bone system. Millet Innovation, a Drome-based company, designs hand orthoses. The feet.
One in two start-ups in medtech has less than five employees. Vincent Tempelaere says that the transition from a mature SME to a beautiful one is something worth reflecting on, but that it is a sector that has a bright future. These companies are addressing global markets and have potential to benefit from the aging population by keeping patients at home.
