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The2016GeorgesMathéPrizerecognizesresearchonthe
immunologicaldeterminantsoftheresponsetobreast
cancertreatment
Paris,October19,2016
The2016GeorgesMathéPrizewaspresentedonOctober10,2016duringtheESMO(European
SocietyofMedicalOncology)meetinginCopenhagen.ThePrize,supportingtranslationalresearch
ofexcellence,wasestablishedinmemoryofthepioneerofcancerresearchinFrance,Georges
Mathé,deceasedin2010.ThePrizewasawardedtoayoungGreekresearcher,DoctorAlexios
Matikas,aclinicaloncologistfromtheUniversityHospitalHeraklion,forhisresearchprojecton
immunologicaldeterminantsofresponsetotreatmentinbreastcancer.TheFellowshipwillsupport
hisresearchinKarolinskaInstitutet(Stockholm,Sweden),intotheimmunologicaldeterminantsof
responsetotreatmentinbreastcancer.
Createdin2011bytheInstitutduCanceretd'Immunogénétique(ICIG)andsponsoredbythe
EuropeanSocietyofMedicalOncology(ESMO),theGeorgesMathéPrizepromotestherapeutic
advancesandtranslationalresearchinmedicaloncologyandimmunotherapy,honoringtheearly
bench-bedside-benchstudiespioneeredbyProfessorGeorgesMathé.Bestowedbyajurycomposed
ofinternationalscientists,the35.000Europrizeisawardedtoanoutstandingyoung
physician/scientisttoenablehim/hertopursueacareerintranslationalcancerresearch.
Thisyear,theprizewillsupportaresearchprojectaimingatbetterunderstandingtheimmunological
determinantsoftreatmentresponseinbreastcancer,atvariousstagesofthedisease(beforesurgery
i.e.neo-adjuvant,postsurgeryi.e.adjuvant,metastatic).Tumor-hostinteractionsarerecognizedto
beofafundamentalimportanceincancerdevelopment,inparticularthetumor’scapabilitytoinduce
animmunosuppressiveenvironmentandevadethehost’simmuneresponsebythemobilizationof
variousmechanisms.Theaimoftheprojectwillbetoevaluatetherelevanceofseveral
immunologicalmarkers(TumorInfiltratingLymphocytes,TumorAssociatedMacrophages,PD-L1
expression,etc.)inpredictingtheresponsetotreatment,andtodevelopanimmune-relatedgene
signaturepredictiveoftheresponse.ThisworkwilltakeplaceattheprestigiousKarolinskaInstitutet
underthesupervisionofProfessorTheodorosFoukakis.
ProfessorDimitriosMavroudis,HeadoftheMedicalOncologydepartmentatHeraklionUniversity
Hospital,wasthrilledbytheawardofthePrizetoAlexiosMatikas:“Alexiosisanoutstandingfellow
withadmirableknowledge.Hehasalreadyauthoredmanypublications.Heisalsoafineclinician
dedicatedtohispatients.”.DrMatikassharedhisprideandthankfulness:“Ifeelveryluckytobeable
tocontinuemyresearchataprestigiouscentersuchastheKarolinksaInstitutetundertheguidance
ProfessorFoukakis,andIthanktheESMOandtheGeorgesMathéPrizesponsors”.
Byfundingtranslationalresearchintotheimmunologicaldeterminantsoftheresponsetocancer
therapy,the2016GeorgesMathéPrizegivespraisetothevisionaryworksofProfessorGeorges
Mathé,thepioneerofcancerimmunotherapy,adoptiveimmunotherapywiththefirst-everbone
marrowgrafttotreataleukemiapatientandthedevelopmentofthe«Graftvs.Leukemia»concept,
andactiveimmunotherapybystimulationofthepatient’simmunesystem,inparticularwithBCG
therapy,stillthegoldstandardtodayforthemanagementofearly-stagebladdercancer.Georges
Mathéwasconvincedthattheactivationoftheimmunesystemagainstthetumorwastheonlyway
toeliminate“thelasttumorcell”,andtherecentsuccessesobtainedbyimmunotherapyin
melanomaseemtoprovehimright,morethanfiftyyearsafterhispioneeringworks.
TheGeorgesMathéPrize:attheheartofESMO
GeorgesMathé,theFrenchpioneerinoncologyandfirsttosuccessfullyachievewithhisteamabone
marrowtransplanttotreatleukemia,playedakeyroleinthecreationofESMO,servingasthevery
firstPresidentoftheSociety.ESMOpayshimanannualtributebysponsoringtheGeorgesMathé
Prize,whichisnowawardedaspartofitsannualcongress.ESMOrecognitiongivesthePrizeamajor
visibility.
ThePrizeismadepossiblebythefinancialsupportoftheInstitutduCanceretd'Immunogénétique
(ICIG)andthepharmaceuticalcompaniesIpsenandtheDebiopharmGroup:
TheInstitutduCanceretd'Immunogénétique(ICIG),Villejuif,wasfoundedin1961attheHospital
PaulBroussebyProf.GeorgesMathé,whodirectedanddevelopedituntil1990.Itincorporates
INSERMresearchlaboratoriesandaclinicalserviceofcancerology.ProfessorMathéservedasthe
Institute´sHonoraryPresidentfrom2003-2010.
CurrentPresident,Prof.DavidMarchover,discipleofGeorgesMathéandpracticingattheBloodand
TumoralDiseaseServiceoftheHospitalPaulBroussethathehadcreated,ishonoredtosupportthe
prizeasatributetohisformermentorandfriend.
Ipsenisaglobalspecialty-drivenpharmaceuticalgroupwithtotalsalesexceeding€1.4billionin2015.
Ipsensellsmorethan20drugsinmorethan115countries,withadirectcommercialpresenceinmore
than 30 countries. Ipsen’s ambition is to become a leader in specialty healthcare solutions for
targeteddebilitatingdiseases.Itsfieldsofexpertisecoveroncology,neurosciencesandendocrinology
(adult & pediatric). Ipsen’s commitment to oncology is exemplified through its growing portfolio of
key therapies improving the care of patients suffering from prostate cancer, bladder cancer and
neuro-endocrinetumors.Ipsenalsohasasignificantpresenceinprimarycare.Moreover,theGroup
has an active policy of partnerships. Ipsen's R&D is focused on its innovative and differentiated
technologicalplatforms,peptidesandtoxins,locatedintheheartoftheleadingbiotechnologicaland
life sciences hubs (Les Ulis/Paris-Saclay, France; Slough/Oxford, UK; Cambridge, US). In 2015, R&D
expenditure totaled close to €193 million. The Group has more than 4,600 employees worldwide.
Ipsen’ssharesaretradedonsegmentAofEuronextParis(stockcode:IPN,ISINcode:FR0010259150)
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and eligible to the “Service de Règlement Différé” (“SRD”). The Group is part of the SBF 120 index.
IpsenhasimplementedaSponsoredLevelIAmericanDepositaryReceipt(ADR)program,whichtrade
ontheover-the-countermarketintheUnitedStatesunderthesymbolIPSEY.Formoreinformationon
Ipsen,visitwww.ipsen.com.
ThecontributionofIpsentotheGeorgesMathéprizedemonstratesIpsen´ssupporttotherapeutic
innovation,andtranslatesinitsprofoundadmirationfortheProf.GeorgesMathé,hisdedicationto
patientsandhispioneerworkinoncology.IpsenalsoacknowledgesProf.Mathé´smajorcontribution
totheclinicalevaluationoftriptorelin(Décapeptyl®),aleadmoleculeinIpsen´sportfolio,withthe
firstpublicationofthephaseIIresultsin1986alongwithProf.A.Schally(Nobellaureate)andDr.
Mauvernay,thefounderoftheDebiopharmGroup™.
DebiopharmGroup™(Debiopharm)isapharmaceuticalresearchgroupfoundedbyDr.Rolland-Yves
Mauverayin1979andbasedinSwitzerland.Thegroupusesitsscientificandclinicalexpertiseto
answerunmetmedicalneeds.Debiopharmin-licensespromisingmoleculedrugcandidates.
Debiopharmdevelopsitsproductsforglobalregistrationandmaximumcommercialpotentialforoutlicensingtopharmaceuticalpartnersforsalesandmarketing.
ThehistoryofDebiopharmandDr.MauverayisintimatelylinkedtothatofProf.GeorgesMathé.
Theirlongfriendship,livelyintuition,scientificandintellectualrigorindeedledtothedevelopmentof
oxaliplatine.DiscoveredinJapan,thismoleculehasbecome,owingtotheworkofProfMathéandto
thetenacityofDr.Mauvernayandtheirteams,anewinternationalstandardinthetreatmentof
coloncancerandaleadproductofDebiopharmanditslicensees.
Dr.MauvernayandhisgroupareproudtohonorthememoryofGeorgesMathé,oneofthemost
importantresearchersofFrenchmedicine,withtherecentawardofthisprizeattheESMOCongress.
Moreinformation:
YannGaston-Mathé
[email protected]
+33630079926
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