Gustave Roussy Transfer: Accelerating Innovation in the Fight Against Cancer, for the Benefit of Patients

Gustave Roussy Transfert (GRT) brings together a dozen professionals who put their skills and expertise to work for the entire scientific and medical community at Gustave Roussy. It supports scientific and medical teams at every stage of their research and innovation projects, from the initial idea through to potential commercialization or the creation of a new company.

With recognized expertise in research commercialization, innovation management, intellectual property, and contract and corporate law, Gustave Roussy Transfert supports Gustave Roussy researchers and healthcare professionals in: 

• Developing their scientific and medical collaborations, whether with academic or industrial partners.
• Steps to protect the results of their work, their inventions, and their know-how, and more generally, all matters related to intellectual property.
• Commercializing their research through entrepreneurial ventures. 

Deeply integrated into the innovation and oncology ecosystem, Gustave Roussy Transfert actively participates in national and international events in these fields. Gustave Roussy Transfert is also involved in innovation hubs such as the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster, of which Gustave Roussy is a co-founder. 

Through its activities, Gustave Roussy Transfert aims to foster scientific and medical collaborations in the field of oncology, facilitate the transfer of research findings and innovations developed at Gustave Roussy to the market and society, and accelerate their transformation into concrete solutions that benefit cancer patients. Gustave Roussy Transfert ranks among the world leaders in scientific commercialization and technology transfer.

Gustave Roussy Transfert supports the scientific and medical community at Gustave Roussy in their collaborations with external partners, whether academic or industrial. It also serves as a key point of contact for organizations and companies seeking to collaborate with the Institute’s teams to conduct research on cancer, its diagnosis, and its treatment, or wishing to benefit from their clinical and scientific expertise in oncology. 

Thus, Gustave Roussy Transfert is involved throughout the process of establishing research partnerships: 

• Identifying relevant partners.
• Supporting researchers and healthcare professionals in the process of establishing partnerships.
• Drafting and negotiating partnership agreements.
• Monitoring partnerships and supporting Gustave Roussy teams throughout the collaborations.
• Providing assistance with contractual and commercialization aspects for projects involving multiple partners (consortia).

She also assists clinicians and researchers in establishing and monitoring consulting agreements with private partners.  

With expertise and solid experience in intellectual property, Gustave Roussy Transfert also supports Gustave Roussy teams in protecting their research results, inventions, and know-how through the filing and monitoring of patents, the registration of trademarks, and the submission of Soleau envelopes. It also helps commercialize these assets by drafting and negotiating licensing agreements. 

Each year, Gustave Roussy Transfert reviews 800 partnership agreements, established with organizations of all sizes—ranging from newly created startups to world-renowned pharmaceutical companies, among others—and manages, maintains, and exploits a portfolio of 118 patent families. 

These figures reflect the international recognition of the scientific and medical excellence of the Gustave Roussy teams, as well as the commitment and quality of the services offered by its subsidiary, Gustave Roussy Transfert. 

With recognized expertise and a proven track record in supporting the creation and development of innovative companies emerging from research, Gustave Roussy Transfert currently supports and mentors a portfolio of 23 startups, more than half of which were founded in the last five years.

Active in various fields of oncology—pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, medical devices, radiation therapy and nuclear medicine, artificial intelligence, and more—these companies are helping to develop innovative solutions to better prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. They embody the commitment and pioneering spirit of Gustave Roussy and its teams, who are exploring new avenues to accelerate progress in oncology and improve patients’ chances of recovery.

Accelerating these innovations requires bringing together, around researchers and clinicians, the expertise, resources, and networks capable of transforming a discovery into a concrete solution for patients. As part of this effort, Gustave Roussy Transfert plays a key role in supporting startups spun off from the Institute by providing tailored support at every stage of their development. Beyond helping them establish their companies, Gustave Roussy Transfert contributes to their organizational development and growth by leveraging its expertise, its network of partners, and its knowledge of the oncology innovation ecosystem. In particular, the team assists entrepreneurs in securing funding, identifying scientific, industrial, or strategic partners, and navigating the various stages required to advance their technology toward the market and, ultimately, to patients.

This support is part of a long-term approach, based on close collaboration with the founding teams and the ability to mobilize, at the right time, the resources and expertise necessary for the development of each project. With this in mind, Gustave Roussy Transfert also develops partnerships with leading players in the innovation and investment ecosystem.

Signadori Bio is a biotech company spun off from research at Gustave Roussy, co-founded by Gustave Roussy Transfert, and developing a new generation of immunotherapy based on monocyte reprogramming for the treatment of solid tumors. Signadori Bio has just completed a €11.1 million funding round and aims to become a global leader.

Therasonic is a MedTech startup co-founded with Gustave Roussy Transfert that is developing a medical device based on innovative focused ultrasound technology to facilitate the targeted, noninvasive delivery of drugs to the brain. 

Every year, Gustave Roussy Transfert participates in several national and international events in the fields of innovation and oncology, such as the BIO International Convention, BIO-Europe, ESMO-TAT, the C.U.R.I.E. Network Congress, the Meet2Win business convention, the Onco Start-up Summit, and Vivatech (the global innovation and start-up expo). In some cases, these participations include presentations or panel discussions addressing topics such as innovation in oncology, technology transfer, and the commercialization of academic research—a testament to the recognition of Gustave Roussy Transfert’s expertise in these fields.   

Gustave Roussy Transfert’s active participation in these events enhances the visibility of the Institute, its researchers, and its medical teams within the global healthcare innovation ecosystem, and helps promote its capacity for innovation and the excellence of its research. It also enables the Institute to identify numerous partners, meet with them, and build lasting relationships with them, in the service of innovation and scientific collaborations to develop the medicines of tomorrow. 

Gustave Roussy Transfert is actively involved in the governance and operational dynamics of the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster by putting its expertise in commercialization at the service of the collective. This involvement is reflected in particular by its direct participation in the project evaluation committee, a strategic body responsible for rigorously selecting and evaluating startup candidates for personalized support. By contributing to the PEC’s scientific, medical, and intellectual property audits, Gustave Roussy Transfert serves as a filter and guarantor.