In Villejuif, the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster deploys an operational model to accelerate innovation in oncology
- Voisin Céline
- 11 hours ago
- 6 min read
Villejuif, February 4, 2026 - On World Cancer Day, the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster (PSCC) is hosting the 3rd edition of its PSCC Innovation Forum in Villejuif. More than 700 oncology stakeholders -researchers, clinicians, start-ups, industrial players, investors, and patient representatives - are gathering around a shared conviction: the future of oncology now lies in the ability to rapidly translate scientific innovation into tangible clinical impact.
Each year, nearly 450,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed in France and more than 22 million worldwide. Oncology has become the world’s leading pharmaceutical market, while concentrating critical challenges: rising costs, increasing biological complexity of diseases, stricter regulatory requirements, pressure on healthcare systems, and growing international competition. In this context, the ability to shorten development timelines, secure investment, and accelerate the industrialization of innovation has become a key competitiveness factor.
This is precisely where the PSCC positions itself. As France’s first biocluster fully dedicated to oncology, supported by the French government within the France 2030 Health Innovation Plan, the PSCC provides an integrated environment designed to support the most promising projects and accelerate their transformation into therapeutic and diagnostic new solutions for patients.
Campus Grand Parc: the place to be for shaping the future of oncology
Campus Grand Parc is the operational backbone of the PSCC. In early 2026, it hosts its first industrial players - 7 companies ranging from start-ups to large organizations _ alongside Gustave Roussy research teams and the PSCC staff, representing nearly 250 professionals on site.
The campus currently spans 45,000 sqm, with a target of 100,000 sqm by 2032, and offers:
· Plug-and-play laboratories for early-stage R&D
· Flexible laboratory and office spaces for start-ups and scaling companies
· Tailor-made real estate solutions for mature projects
· An Innovation Center operated by Kadans Science Partner, designed to foster collaboration, and cross-fertilization
From 2026, shared scientific services operated by CROs - including in vivo facilities and vivarium, cell culture and cell-based assays, omics, and histology - will further support the transition from research to preclinical and clinical development.
Health data: a strategic industrial lever
With PSCC DATA, the cluster is building a secure infrastructure providing access to real-world oncology data and biospecimens from leading French cancer centers. The platform supports:
· Optimization of clinical trial design;
· Shorter development cycles;
· Faster access to market, within a robust ethical and regulatory framework.
Strong momentum in 2025
The year 2025 marks a key milestone for the PSCC:
Nearly 80 projects supported, which have raised more than €200 million since 2023;
8 cutting-edge technology platforms, funded under France 2030 and now operational within partner hospitals;
PSCC DATA, a platform project already providing access to real-world oncology data and biospecimens. 12 feasibility studies have been conducted with data warehouses from four partner hospitals, covering more than 275,000 patients and enabling rapid querying of over 30 variables (with a target of 102). The project is further strengthened by a strategic European partnership with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ);
More than 250 academic and industrial experts mobilized to support start-ups and innovative projects;
60+ events, ranging from workshops to the Innovation Forum - bringing together nearly 700 participants this year - as well as thematic meetings and dedicated matchmaking sessions connecting innovative biotech and medtech projects with investors and industrial partners (with twice as many portfolio reviews and meetings in 2025 compared to 2024).
Looking ahead: scaling up in 2026
In 2026, the PSCC will further accelerate investment support and industrial execution through:
· An expanded BOOST program, including a new €2.5 million funding scheme to support 10 start-ups with €250,000 each at critical development milestones;
· The acceleration of PSCC DATA, with additional harmonized variables, in beta access mode for biopharma, medtech, and AI players, and an expanded network of partner centers;
· The onboarding of new industrial players at Campus Grand Parc to strengthen scale and execution capacity.
Professor Eric Vivier, President of the PSCC commented: “By building an integrated industrial, technological, and data-driven environment dedicated to oncology, the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster creates the conditions for faster, more robust, and more attractive innovation for investors and industry players, enabling a more predictive and precise approach to cancer and supporting the development of truly personalized medicine.”
Showcasing concrete innovation in action
The PSCC Innovation Forum 2026 brings together researchers, clinicians, start-ups, industrial partners, investors, and patient representatives around a shared objective: understanding how technologies are reshaping cancer care, from diagnosis to therapeutic decision-making. The Forum also serves as a key moment for exchange and experience-sharing on the critical success factors of oncology innovation - particularly financing challenges - addressed through dedicated roundtables.
At the heart of the day, a press conference will spotlight several innovations emerging from the PSCC ecosystem, as well as the cluster’s progress in supporting projects and companies working to improve patient care. 3 innovative start-ups, supported by the PSCC, will take part in the press conference to present their technologies, development trajectories, and their establishment at Campus Grand Parc - the reference site for innovating in oncology:
• LiveRNA, introduced by Sylvain Carlioz, founder and CEO
• One Biosciences introduced by Céline Vallot, founder and CSO
• Brenus Pharma introduced by Paul Bravetti, CEO
LiveRNA is a start-up developing a new generation of immunotherapies designed to address the 80% of cancer patients who remain non-responders to current treatments. Its patented technology, originating from research conducted at Institut Curie, the University of Pennsylvania, and the San Raffaele Hospital, is based on the activation of cGAS, a key protein that triggers an immune alarm signal. LIV-01, the company’s first drug candidate, leverages mRNA technology—similar to COVID-19 vaccines—and targets severe hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), an area of high unmet medical need with approximately one million patients worldwide. HCC is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality and shows limited complete responses to conventional immunotherapy. Preclinical validation data demonstrate superior efficacy compared to standard combination immunotherapy and anti-angiogenic treatments (anti-PD-L1 and anti-VEGF). LiveRNA was co-founded by four leaders in the field: Nicolas Manel (cGAS expert, Institut Curie), Norbert Pardi (mRNA expert, University of Pennsylvania), Matteo Iannacone (liver immunology expert, San Raffaele), and Sylvain Carlioz (entrepreneur and CEO of Stimunity). The scientific advisory board includes Nobel Laureate Charles Rice (Hepatitis C, 2020) and Professor Philippe Cassier, a leading French HCC expert from the Léon Bérard Center. LiveRNA aims to validate LIV-01 in a clinical trial involving 50 patients within three years and is currently raising a €2 million seed round.
One Biosciences is a French techbio company pioneering precision oncology solutions based on single-cell technologies and artificial intelligence. Its mission is to bring single-cell tumor analysis into routine clinical practice through OneMap, a novel diagnostic solution that enables high-resolution decoding of tumor heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment from standard clinical samples. By identifying predictive biomarkers, OneMap supports oncologists in selecting the most appropriate therapies. One Biosciences also partners with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to support drug development, particularly through patient stratification, understanding mechanisms of response and resistance, and optimizing clinical trial design using single-cell sequencing. A spin-off from Institut Curie, One Biosciences is accelerated by the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster and collaborates with several of its members, including Gustave Roussy, AP-HP, and Sanofi. The company is funded by Bpifrance, Région Île-de-France, and France 2030, and completed a €15 million Series A round in 2025 with European and U.S. investors.
Brenus Pharma is a French clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering new modalities in immuno-oncology. The company addresses resistant and immunologically “silent” solid tumors, which account for 90% of therapeutic failures and nearly 10 million deaths worldwide each year. Its proprietary Stimulated Ghost Cells platform mimics the nature of cancer and exposes tumor antigens to the immune system, effectively training it to recognize and destroy constantly evolving tumors. This approach enables scalable precision medicine, overcoming the limitations of highly individualized therapies. Supported by Bpifrance, France 2030, and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional investment fund, Brenus raised €23 million in a Series A round in 2024 from European investors. Its lead candidate, STC-1010, is currently evaluated in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC, MSS) across six centers in France, with planned expansion to Belgium and the United States. A member of the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster since 2023, Brenus Pharma aims to become a leading player in immuno-oncology through breakthrough innovation with strong patient impact.
Read the entire Press Release
