In France, research in the field of cystic fibrosis is productive and well organized, and groups a number of actors.
Fundamental research
Fundamental research is indispensable to the discovery of new therapeutic targets and clinical research.
In France it is mainly undertaken by public scientific and technological institutions : INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale; National Health and Medical Research Institute), the CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique, National Scientific Research Center), INRA (Institut national de la recherche agronomique; National Agronomic Research Institute), and university laboratories.
Clinical research
Clinical research requires the involvement of healthy volunteers and patients. It is applied and checked by official institutions : ANSM (Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des Produits de santé ; National Agency for Medication and Health Product Safety), DGOS (Direction générale de l’offre de soins ; General Directorate for Healthcare Supply), HAS (Haute Autorité de santé ; French National Health Authority), CPP(Comité de Protection des Personnes ; Ethics Research Committee). The pharmaceutical industry funds 80% of the clinical trials.
In 2008, the French Cystic Fibrosis Association created a French clinical research network for cystic fibrosis (Cystic fibrosis clinical research platform), in collaboration with the French Cystic Fibrosis Society (Société française de mucoviscidose). Its main objectives are :
- Carry out an exhaustive annual inventory of all the industrial and institutional trials conducted with the CRCMs
- Facilitate the inclusion of patients in all the studies
- Defend the interests of the clinical teams with industry (e.g., list of cost overruns and investigator incentives identical in all the CRCMs)
- Develop the CRCMs’ and French interregional networks’ know-how internationally.
Website: http://www.recherchecliniquemuco.fr/
