Rengueil University Hospital in Toulouse: a new therapeutic approach to incurable diseases

Gown, cap, mask. No one enters this new space at Rengueil University Hospital in Toulouse as they wish. Wednesday March 13, A novel pharmacotechnic-biotherapy unit

was inaugurated.

With new premises, high-tech equipment, the hospital wants to be a major player in this treatment for specific pathologies.

A new unit at 2.5 million euros

This project after two years of hard work 2.5 million eurosFinancing to the tune of 1.3 million has been provided by the region and European funds, which has finally come to fruition for the Rengueil University Hospital in Toulouse.

About ten rooms are now available for research, clinical trials and preparation “advanced therapy” drugs.

“This new generation of biotherapy opens up a new therapeutic path for hitherto incurable diseases in oncology, neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, autoimmune or inflammatory diseases,” Toulouse University Hospital assures.

“It allows us to do what others don’t,” smiles CHU’s general director. Jean-Francois Lefebvre. Fewer than ten university hospitals in France are equipped with a unit like this. This is a leap forward for innovation in university hospitals.” Montpellier is one of the institutions equipped with this laboratory.

What is “new therapy”?

“Cell and gene therapy are very present in oncology,” explains Isabelle Quelven-Bertin, pharmacist in charge of the unit at Rengueil University Hospital. With this new unit, we want the university hospital to have the room to prepare these treatments for other pathologies.”

New treatments that work with effective results by “modifying genes” (gene therapy) or transplanting living cells from a donor or patient (cellular therapy). A single injectionAccording to experts.

This will revolutionize the coming decades. We are moving from symptomatic treatment to curative treatment. All medical specialties will be affected.

“This is the next ten years of medicine being prescribed at CHU. This treatment cures patients within a few weeks. Research is certainly expensive, but it will evolve and become more widely available. CHU has a leading role in this field,” says Jean-Francois Lefebvre, Director General of CHU.

Isabelle Quelven-Bertin explains that “by 2030, 44 new gene or cell therapies will emerge,” treatments in constant expansion.

High tech equipment

Here, there is no cell culture, but only Restructuring and preparation. For this, each room will have a different function: preparation, freezing, waste management, etc.

“Segregation of rooms is important, because they are not the same type of risk. For example, we will manipulate GMOs or cells. Special handling techniques are needed, from air filtering to nitrogen storage that can go down to -150 degrees to preserve the cells,” explains the manager.

Preparation of these very expensive medicines, Up to 2 million euros per patient, Subject to particularly strict recommendations and standards. “Oxygen control, extraction in the event of nitrogen release… the room will be under depression to avoid possible contamination of the environment with hoods for handling”, lists Isabelle Quelven-Bertin.

In this regard, a building was specially constructed outside for air treatment. The A real beating heart Research room.

“It’s a complex air treatment system, there are a lot of pipes! But it is an essential building,” assures the pharmacist. A technical and very expensive piece that blew the forecast budget of 1.5 million euros.

Eventually, up to seven people will be able to work within the unit with a target Will open in April 2024 To begin with the first clinical trials.

In case of health crisis, fallback solution

If the heart of the unit remains the production of innovative (and not chemical) medicines, this is not the only added value for Rengueil University Hospital. “These new premises also provide additional capacity to our establishment. Pharmaceutical preparations in case of shortage drugs or health crisis for the benefit of the entire region,” explains the CHU.

Toulouse University Hospital, in the context of global stress on drug supplies, wants to acquire additional capacity for the preparation of sterile drugs. The recent health crisis has in fact resulted in a global need for cures which has forced health institutions to create their own treatments to ensure patient care in the short term.

Always with the aim of making the region more autonomous on the subject. In line with this idea of ​​relocating production, the Ipsophene company will also set up the first paracetamol production plant in Europe in 2025 in Toulouse.

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