bioMérieux and the Lyon Civil Hospitals strengthen their collaboration and expand their partnership to include Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, and the Lyon Civil Hospitals today inaugurated new joint research laboratory facilities located within the Edouard Herriot Hospital in Lyon, renewing their collaboration agreement for five years and expanded their alliance to include Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. Founded at the initiative of Dr. Christophe Mérieux in 2002, the laboratory has been fully renovated to allow teams from all three establishments to carry out their research work.

This novel approach to perform research close to patients combines medical expertise, academic research and diagnostic innovation in a clearly original way. For almost 15 years, bioMérieux and the Lyon Civil Hospitals have been collaborating through an exceptional public-private research partnership. Building on the wealth of their collaboration, a second joint research laboratory involving these partners was created in 2009 within the Lyon-Sud Hospital Center.

Initially created for research on rheumatoid arthritis, the joint research laboratory located at the Edouard Herriot Hospital has gradually shifted its focus to concentrate on sepsis, a severe inflammatory syndrome that is frequently observed following an infection. Around 27 million people are affected by sepsis each year while only 70% of them survive. For clinicians, it is crucial to both diagnose sepsis and determine a patient’s immune profile as quickly as possible to allow them to target the best treatment and improve patient care.

The two joint research laboratories provide a unique forum for interaction for clinical knowledge, science, industrial expertise and academic contribution. The inclusion of Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in the partnership adds a complementary dimension in terms of upstream research. It will also allow the integration of students into the teams. Located in the heart of the hospital and close to the patient, these laboratories bring together clinicians, researchers, PhD students, serving a common theme centered on immunosuppression and the risk of infection in hospitalized patients.

“bioMérieux has developed an open innovation model based on research partnerships without borders between disciplines to improve infectious disease diagnostics. The collaboration with the Lyon Civil Hospitals and now with Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 is emblematic of this pioneering open research approach, combining expertise from the public and private sectors, to support the ultimate goal of constantly improving the quality of care for patients,” said Alexandre Mérieux, CEO of bioMérieux.

Dominique Deroubaix, Director of the Lyon Civil Hospitals, added: “Probably as science provides an excellent foundation for this kind of alliance, but also thanks to the trust we have built over the years, this partnership is a genuine success. bioMérieux contributes its biological research knowledge and experience, while the Lyon Civil Hospitals bring their experience, skills and recognized know-how in the clinical and therapeutic approach to different diseases.”

“Promoting synergies between upstream and translational research, as well as between academic and socio-economic spheres, are priorities for Claude Bernard University Lyon 1. The alliance with bioMérieux and the Lyon Civil Hospitals in a joint research laboratory is a perfect illustration of this. By creating an interface for physicians, scientists and industry within the same teaching hospital, the momentum driving this laboratory will be even stronger,” explained Frédéric Fleury, President of Claude Bernard University Lyon 1.

About thirty experts from the Clinical Immunology Laboratory and Anesthesia and Intensive Care Departments at Edouard Herriot Hospital and from the Hematology Service from Lyon-Sud Hospital Center, together with bioMérieux teams (researchers, clinicians, engineers, technicians and statisticians) interact daily and contribute to the work of both laboratories. The laboratories also host around 12 PhD and Masters degree students. Since 2009, 10 patents have been filed and 68 scientific articles have been published as a result of this research partnership.