The 2nd edition of Immunotherapies for Infectious Diseases Congress (I4ID), held in Lyon, on December 10 and 11, 2018 at Matmut Stadium, has kept all its promises in terms of both scientific content and attendance
Following the success of the first edition in 2017 dedicated to the development of therapeutic antibodies to fight infectious diseases, this year’s I4ID highlighted the development of host-directed therapies to fight Infectious Diseases.
This second edition of I4ID, organized by MabDesign and BIOASTER was held in Lyon on December 10 & 11 at Matmut Stadium, at the heart of Gerland’s “life sciences” ecosystem. For two days, large groups, SMEs, start-ups, researchers and doctoral students were able to exchange with experts in the field.
The particular subject of host-directed therapies attracted more than 150 participants who came to listen and exchange with French and international experts on the latest innovations and scientific advancements. The two-day program highlighted the work developed by companies such as Atox Bio (Israel), Innate Pharma (France), bioMérieux (France), Enyo Pharma (France) and RemAb Therapeutics (Spain), as well as prestigious research institutes such as the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (Germany), Institut Pasteur (France), Foundation Champalimaud (Portugal), University College of London (United Kingdom), CIRI (France), and also clinicians such as University of Washington School of Medicine (United States), Hospices Civils de Lyon (France), and Bellvitge University Hospital (Spain), among others.
“During this edition, the interest of therapies targeting the host was mentioned in particular for the treatment of sepsis, with a scientific discussion initiated by various experts in the field. Prof. Kaufmann’s introduction on tuberculosis highlighted the range of potential treatments using targeted host therapy. Finally, Prof. Vivier’s presentation demonstrated that there was a convergence between innovative therapeutic applications targeting the host, implemented in oncology and those that could potentially be declined for the treatment of infectious diseases. “says Patrick Lécine, PhD, scientific expert in immunology and vaccinology, BIOASTER.
The Pitch Session showcased the latest innovations and expertise in the field by companies such as TransCure Bioservices, Signia Therapeutics, Agro-Bio, Novimmune and VOXCAN, as well as research in development at the Institut Pasteur de Lille, the University of Barcelona, the Institut Pasteur, and also at the Hospices Civils de Lyon. A poster session was also held during the congress and at the end of the two days the Best Pitch Award was given to Sébastien Tabruyn, CSO of TransCure BioServices for his presentation on the use of mouse models to evaluate immunotherapies against infectious diseases, such as HIV. The Best Poster Award was given to Frédérique Vernel-Pauillac, from the Institut Pasteur, for his work on innovative strategies targeting the host against Leptospira infections.
More than 150 B2B meetings were held, sharing know-how, finding new customers and establishing partnerships. The exhibition area counted with the presence of Sanofi, bioMérieux, InvivoGen, NanoTemper Technologies, NovaZine, StemCell Technologies, RD-Biotech and ADERLY, thus providing an opportunity to discover the dynamic companies in the sector.
“The growth in the number of stakeholders and molecules in development on infectious diseases makes it essential to hold an annual meeting for these two worlds; immunotherapy and infectious diseases come together: the I4IDs intends to become that place! “concluded Nicolas Groux, Operations Director at MabDesign.
The success of this 2nd edition also takes into account the support of several partners, such as SANOFI, bioMérieux, GSK, La Métropole ONLY LYON, FINOVI, Transgene, Inserm as well as all our institutional and media partners.
For more information visit: https://i4id.org
