21/06/2019
INSERM Press Release
Inserm researcher Jérôme Galon has been honored by the European Patent Office (EPO) for his Immunoscore®, a test that predicts relapse risk in patients with certain forms of cancer. An achievement that encapsulates the missions and results of Inserm, a research institute serving good health for all.
The invention of Jérôme Galon – under license from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research through its private subsidiary Inserm Transfert and marketed under the name Immunoscore® by the company he co-founded – is used to count the immune cells in patient tumor tissue. The more these immune cells are present in the tumor, the better the patient’s chances of survival. In colorectal cancer, the test has a 95% likelihood of predicting patient survival. Immunoscore® gives doctors a more complete picture of the disease, enabling them to offer the most appropriate treatments to their patients.
To perform the test, a specialized scanner produces digital images of tumor samples, from which software will count the number of immune cells. An algorithm then calculates the patient’s Immunoscore® based on the number of T-cells. Clinics throughout the world now use this test to predict relapse risk in patients with colorectal cancer.
“Jérôme Galon’s journey is exemplary in many respects and I offer him my warmest congratulations on winning the European Inventor Award 2019. Through Jérôme, it is the results of our research that are rewarded – when this research succeeds in bringing science and enterprise together. It is also a fine example of our motto at Inserm: Science for health”, declares Inserm Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilles Bloch.
“With 165,000 patent applications filed in Europe every year, I am delighted to receive this award honoring more than 15 years of laboratory work – work that is still ongoing. It is also thanks to the freedom of research afforded to us at Inserm that I was able to embark on this research, over the long term, back when few researchers were interested in cancer immunology. In terms of creating value from this discovery, Inserm Transfert has also played a decisive role by supporting me throughout my journey”, states Galon.