The MiMédI Project - Microtechnology for advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs)- combines expertise in microtechnology and nanoscience to those in cellular engineering for production of these new drugs to streamline and optimize ATMP manufacturing with new technical solutions. Started in 2017, it is founded by the European Regional Development Fund and BPI France for 15 M€ for 5 years. ATMPs offer new treatments for patients in therapeutic stalemate. However, manufacturing these cells require complex and expensive technologies. The project involves 9 partners (5 private companies, 3 academic partners and a transfer agency) around two complementary objectives:
- The development of innovative production methods to validate a modular bio-reactor combining units representing the different steps of ATMP production. It would be an autonomous « white room» adapted to any type of laboratory. The objectives are to reduce manufacturing costs and to produce locally ATMPs.
- The marketing of medicinal innovative drugs from "living" cells allowing new possibilities and treatment strategies as an alternative or in addition to current chemical drugs.
This project will allow:
- The development of new processes in order to simplify and control productions. For this purpose, the BMD team use their skills including technological and conceptual of acoustics, vision, optics, automation, microfluidics, bioengineering, nano- and microtechnologies to develop new innovative strategies to characterize ATMPs, detect eventual contaminations during production and separate/manipulate cells.
- The optimization of ATMPs manufacturing, by contribution of microtechnology abilities, to reduce costs, increase the number and foster the access of these therapeutic strategies to the human evaluation phases.
These developments will facilitate the marketing of ATMPs to address public health problems.
Contact : Annie Frelet-Barrand (annie.frelet-barrand@femto-st.fr)