A delegation from the Fernandes Figueira National Institute for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health (IFF/Fiocruz) was in Paris (4/18) for a strategic visit to the Institut Imagine, an international reference instute in the research and treatment of genetic diseases. The mission aimed to deepen the exchange of experiences in areas such as gene therapy, professional training, and the structuring of collaborative networks focused on rare diseases.
The visit represented an important step in Fiocruz's international strategy focused on advanced therapies (photo: Disclosure)
The Brazilian delegation was made up of the researcher and coordinator of Education at IFF/Fiocruz, Zilton Vasconcelos, the deputy director and coordinator of Health Care at IFF/Fiocruz, Lívia Menezes, the coordinator of Institutional Management and Development at IFF/Fiocruz, Stella Carletti, and the head researcher and representative of Fiocruz's Presidency for Cooperation with France, Wilson Savino. They were welcomed by the researchers Olivier Hermine and Marina Cavazanna from the Institut Imagine.
The visit represents a major step in Fiocruz's international strategy for advanced therapies. "The strategy of discussions in the field of advanced therapies with Imagine is part of a global Fiocruz strategy, which in turn is part of the State's priorities in the area of health. The fact that we are able to do this puts Fiocruz at the forefront, as it is interacting with a major advanced therapy center, Imagine, which focuses on rare diseases of genetic origin," said Wilson Savino.
The mission is another step by Fiocruz in the effort to internationalize Brazilian science and build strategic partnerships to strengthen the Unified Health System (SUS) based on innovation and scientific collaboration. "The visit to the Institut Imagine is a strategic milestone for the National Genomics Network for Inborn Errors of Immunity (RENOMIEII) project, as it accelerates the integration of gene therapies in our country. With the expansion of diagnoses of these patients in the SUS, future innovative treatments for rare diseases in Brazil will be the next step. This Franco-Brazilian partnership reinforces our commitment to equity, transforming cutting-edge science into accessible public health, especially for the children and adolescents served by the Institute and Fiocruz," said Zilton Vasconcelos.
For Stella Carletti, "this visit was a milestone for the Management area, which was able to participate in a shared way with representatives of Care and Research in the prospecting of the 'IFF of the Future'. The opportunity to get to know the infrastructure, technology park, and logistics of Institut Imagine / Necker Hospital helps us plan new facilities and services."
Institut Imagine is located on the campus of the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, the oldest children's hospital in the Western world. It was created in 1920 from the merger of the Necker Hospital (founded in 1778) and the Hospital des Enfants Malades (from 1801). "Getting to know the facilities of this hospital and the Institut Imagine was an enriching experience, especially as we are living in an important moment at IFF/Fiocruz in which we are discussing the possibility of a new headquarters and expanding our care profile and our capacity to carry out research and clinical trials in the field of rare diseases," said Lívia Menezes.