IPSOMEDIC and IPSOMEL will boost France’s pharmaceutical independence from their new base in Provence

Two sister biotech companies are blossoming in Aix-Marseille-Provence

After an international career at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and with large pharmaceutical companies, Edith Lecomte-Norrant returned to France from Belgium and founded IPSOMEDIC in Marseille in 2019. After her arrival, she contacted Provence Promotion for help setting up the biotech company. Initially based in a laboratory at the Saint-Jérôme science faculty of Aix-Marseille University, the company's successful development meant it needed to expand, so it moved to Aubagne, a town outside of Marseille, and split its activities into two entities.

The first, IPSOMEDIC, is developing new manufacturing processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients and is currently in the technology transfer phase for the industrial production of paracetamol in France. The second company, IPSOMEL, uses biotechnologies to develop innovative active ingredients.

Both companies are contributing to the pharmaceutical independence of France and Europe by bringing pioneering production methods to market that will make the manufacture of medicine profitable in all countries.

As part of her broader work to create applications for her research, Edith Lecomte-Norrant, who has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, launched the start-up IPSOMEDIC in 2019 and then created a sister company, IPSOMEL, in June 2021. These companies aim to bring active pharmaceutical ingredients to market using innovative continuous chemical processes and bioprocesses. These technologies significantly reduce costs, production times, and environmental impacts while also increasing quality and safety.

For IPSOMEDIC, their commitment to facilitate the production of paracetamol in France and other countries seeking more independence for their pharmaceutical supplies is already meeting with success thanks to its patented production process that can compete with global manufacturers. The company is currently at the industrial transfer stage of the paracetamol project and is working on the construction of a production facility in France.

The companies recently invested €1.5 million to purchase an R&D site in Aubagne (the former premises of Keybio). This 1200m2 facility features offices, laboratories, and three clean rooms.

IPSOMEDIC and IPSOMEL have received help and guidance from Provence Promotion, the Banque des Territoires public investment bank, the Région Sud Invest fund, and the Eurobiomed healthtech cluster. They also have benefited from business mentoring from the Réseau Entreprendre entrepreneurship network, financial support from the Bpifrance public investment bank, and interest-free loans through risingSud and Réseau Entreprendre.

Recruitment and development projects

In 2023, the companies expect to double their number of employees with the recruitment of engineers, production technicians, and scientists with expertise in bioinformatics.

Work still needs to be done to better structure the commercialization system for IPSOMEDIC’s patents through licensing agreements, manufacturing agreements, and other methods. Three permanent hires are already underway to support the development of the project: a chemical pilot manager, an in-silico science expert, and a senior production technician. With the launch of the industrial transfer unit, between six and ten more positions will be created in the coming months.

IPSOMEL focuses its research on developing innovative biotechnological processes that can be applied to multiple products, including antibiotics, as well as the development of innovative purification technologies used for products such as RNA vaccines or monoclonal antibodies. The company began with a team of three collaborators: one engineer responsible for launching a cell culture division and a second in charge of setting up technological solutions for biofiltration with the support of a Ph.D. student.

Jean-Etienne Fortier, who has a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering, specializes in digital transformation. He arrived in January 2023 after more than 15 years of experience with international pharmaceutical companies and will help structure IPSOMEDIC. As Industrial Director and Head of IT, his challenge is to identify the best candidates to grow the company and to develop its overall business strategy.

The competitive advantage and broad appeal of Provence and the Paluds industrial zone

The Aix-Marseille metro area offers a fertile ecosystem for the growth of companies focused on health sciences and technologies. There are concentrations of biotech companies at the technology parks in Luminy and Château Gombert in Marseille, and there is another cluster in Aubagne that includes the German company Sartorius Stedim Biotech.

IPSOMEDIC and IPSOMEL are located in the Paluds industrial zone in Aubagne, and the building they have chosen is an excellent site to establish R&D activities in the territory. For the site’s management, Jean-Etienne Fortier uses local service providers and contractors that he tries to source within a five-kilometre radius, which attests to the dynamic talent pool in the area and the benefits of cultivating complete business ecosystems.

A laboratory also needs new technologies and digital tools for its successful development. To this end, the Aubagne site has begun integrating digital solutions for data collection, management, and processing. By accelerating their digitalization, IPSOMEDIC and IPSOMEL will be able to use advanced computer modelling and simulations of physical, chemical, and biological phenomena. This digital innovation will be combined with traditional experiments performed in the laboratory.

By developing technologies that make the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients profitable in any country, IPSOMEDIC and IPSOMEL hope to help France avoid medicine shortages in the future.