56 patents granted in 2021: Institut Curie celebrates the quality of its innovations

At the forefront of innovation, Institut Curie is an infinite source of discoveries, leading to new therapeutic or diagnostic solutions that benefit patients and improve their quality of life. In 2021, Institut Curie obtained the grant of 56 patents: a major success that attests to the quality of its innovation projects.

These patents are the result of work carried out by employees of the Research Center and the Hospital Complex, or by our spin-off companies, in a wide range of fields: therapeutics[1], diagnostics, prediction, microfluidics, microbiological processes, etc. This is further proof of the excellence of the research and care conducted at Institut Curie and of the diversity of our expertise.

said Cécile Campagne, head of the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and deputy director of Carnot Curie Cancer.

Institut Curie supports its employees-inventors in all stages of the realization of their innovative project, an adventure that begins with the legal protection of the invention. This protection takes the form of intellectual property[2], and more specifically industrial property and patents, which allow inventions to be protected for 20 years. The filing of a patent is crucial because:

- it gives its holder the right to prohibit the use of his invention on French or foreign territory, and thus to take legal action in case of exploitation of the invention without his consent;

- it increases the chances of valorization and transfer of the invention to an industrial partner so that it can be developed and lead to an innovative health product.

"Filing a patent allows our start-ups in particular to secure their development and increase their opportunities of raising funds," explains Amine Naimi, French patent attorney[3] and head of the TTO’s Intellectual Property Department.

The process of obtaining a patent involves several specific stages, lasting on average between three and five years, (including the declaration of the invention, the filing of the patent application, the extension of the application to the international level, etc.) which conclude with the granting of the patent, the holder then owning an official title of industrial property.

A fruitful strategy

This success testifies to the ambitious strategy pursued by Institut Curie to promote its research.

We are delighted with this successful outcome, which symbolizes the recognition of the quality of our work to represent inventors and defend their inventions.

continues Amine Naimi.

This area of strategic focus, led by the TTO, is reflected in a strong intellectual property strategy and an active policy of innovation detection that has enabled the company to consolidate its patent portfolio, which now comprises more than 700 patent applications and patents.

This involves close daily contact between the entire TTO team and Institut Curie researchers and caregivers in order to detect inventions and assess their development prospects.

concludes Amine Naimi.

This initiative is accompanied by the organization of training and awareness sessions on technology transfer within the research units and teams, and the Hospital complex's departments.

[1] Small molecules, antibodies, oligonucleotides, polypeptides, cells, etc.

[2] Intellectual property includes industrial property, copyright and related rights.

[3] A french patent attorney is a person qualified by the French National Institute of Industrial Property and registered on the list of qualified persons in industrial property following examinations before an expert jury.