Research & development: creating value for tomorrow

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Developing new treatments to satisfy unmet medical needs

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The field of possible therapeutic options is still immense for patients with cancer, dermatological diseases or rare diseases. Less than 5% of rare diseases – in other words, affecting fewer than one person in 2,000 – now receive treatment, yet over 300 million patients are affected worldwide. Having invested for 40 years in oncology research, and given the profound and continual changes in science and innovation in this field, the Group is now focusing on targeted therapies, i.e. molecules capable of inhibiting mutations causing tumor disorders in cells.

Against this backdrop, the Group is working to strengthen its expertise in targeted therapies, as well as in areas such as data.To build its future portfolio, the Group is accelerating its early research on new targeted therapies in partnership with innovative biotechs. Most recently came the signing of a partnership in February 2023 with the American biotech Scorpion Therapeutics. Together, the two companies plan to initiate the co-development of two compounds in precision oncology for treatment of a very specific form of non-small cell lung cancer.

Francesco Hofmann, Medical Care R&D Director, explains: “Our goal is to have a pipeline of four to six active ingredients in clinical development within five years. To guide us in our investment decisions, we have set up an Advisory Scientific Committee that includes five researchers and clinicians internationally recognized in oncology.”

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Developing cosmetics with more holistic benefits

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In dermo-cosmetics, Pierre Fabre is working to develop treatments with high added value, using specific technologies while garanteeing the sustainable sourcing of ingredients. The R&D teams use techniques from the medical world, for example the interactome, which deciphers all the existing molecular interactions within a cell, tissue or organism. This holistic approach has enabled the development of products targeting all the factors (genetics, environmental, etc.) triggering a skin condition

We already have the interactome to thank for the new Hyaluron Activ B3 anti-aging range by Eau Thermale Avène, launched in 2022. Other ranges will also benefit in 2023 from this major field of research, including our sun protection, hair care and anti-acne products.

Xavier Ormancey, Dermo-Cosmetics & Personal Care R&D Director, explains: “We also rely on biomimicry, with treatments that replicate the defense mechanisms of living things. Initially focused on skin care, this approach is now being studied for sun protection and healing, based on the self-protection strategies of lichen and algae.”