Renowned experts, Nobel laureates to convene at Toulouse Onco Week to discuss latest advances in oncology

The first Toulouse Onco Week (TOW) is due to take place from 3 to 6 February 2016 at the Pierre Baudis Congess Center, Toulouse, France. This unique event will be focused on the international fight against cancer by bringing together stakeholders from around the world and presenting the latest global innovations in oncology.

TOW: 6 EVENTS IN 1

TOW aims to unite all forces in the fight against cancer: scientists, clinicians, caregivers, industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, public authorities and charities. The event will be part of World Cancer Day 2016 on February 4^th. This initiative was founded by the Toulouse Center for Cancerology Research (CRCT) and will be conducted in partnership with the Cancer-Bio-Health cluster, the Toulouse Cancer Health Foundation, Toulouse Métropole and So Toulouse. The members of this regional alliance from within the Toulouse Oncopole Campus look forward to offering a warm welcome to their international counterparts.

At TOW, 6 events will be taking place in one venue. The highlights of these will be the 1^st International Symposium of CRCT, academic and industrial presentations, Business to Business meetings organized by the Cancer-Bio-Health cluster, public-expert discussion sessions and charitable events arranged by Toulouse Métropole and So Toulouse with profits donated to the Toulouse Cancer Health Foundation.

TOW is honored that alongside two Nobel Prize winners, Professors Gerd Binnig (Physics) and Jules Hoffmann (Medicine), this event will bring together 16 international experts in oncology. 1000 participants (scientists, clinicians and industrial partners including biotechnology companies, start-ups and large pharmaceutical groups) are expected in Toulouse.

Jean-Jacques Fournié, Director of the CRCT:

The TOW will be an event on an international scale. Our ambition is to present the latest technological innovations in the field of cancer detection and micro-tumor analysis. We also plan to review the most recent advances in anti-cancer immunotherapies which represent the most significant progress being made in oncology at the present time.

Armelle Barelli, regional delegate of Inserm Midi-Pyrénées, Limousin:

Inserm will ensure the prominence of this first meeting on cancer, which is organized by the Toulouse Center for Cancerology Research alongside the Cancer-Bio-Health cluster, the Toulouse Foundation for Cancer Health and Toulouse Métropole, in partnership with l'Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier and the CNRS. This original selection of events will bring together the different players in the fight against this disease. It constitutes a fantastic opportunity, not only for the regional scientific community but also nationally and internationally, to further enhance the advances made in cancerology research. For many years the progress of research in this field has been remarkable and it is important that patients and the general public are aware of this.

THE 1ST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM OF CRCT WILL BE SUPPORTED BY TWO NOBEL LAUREATES

Professor Jules Hoffmann, winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine, and Professor Gerd Binnig, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics, will honor this symposium with their presence. They will be accompanied by sixteen internationally renowned experts (researchers and clinicians). The symposium will consist of the following six scientific sessions:

- Genetic instability and cell cycle
- Gene expression and epigenetics
- Metabolism
- Tumor biology and stem cells
- Immunity
- New technologies applicable to health

With no less than 30 oral presentations and 100 poster presentations, selected through a call for papers, the aim is to provide a global vision of the advances made in terms of research and care that will allow for better treatments.

Applications will be considered by a scientific committee composed of twenty experts, including the two Nobel laureates and the CRCT Director, Jean-Jacques Fournié.

Sessions will consist of plenary lectures given by invited experts followed by 15 minute oral presentations. These will take place from 3 to 5 February 2016 in front of the gathered scientific community at the Pierre Baudis Congress Center.

TOW: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES AND ACADEMICS TO PRESENT THEIR WORK TO INVESTORS

Another major advantage of TOW is that it allows established and start-up companies and laboratories to present their innovations to other TOW participants: research partners, investors, representatives of the big pharmaceutical companies, and the wider international oncology community. The challenge: to demonstrate the importance of their technologies and discoveries in the fight against cancer and to use this opportunity to seek funding.

Applications will be examined by representatives from the Cancer-Bio-Health cluster, which contributes towards the development of new technologies and products in the fight against cancer and supports innovations and ideas of value to bio-health research.

Successful candidates will each have 5 minutes for their pitch during the lunch interval on February 3, 2016

PROMOTING Business-to-Business MEETINGS: OVERCOME ECONOMIC CHALLENGES AT TOW

Bringing together registered participants also offers the opportunity for business meetings. Thus, in parallel with their presentations, both academic and industrial participants (start-ups, companies, pharmaceutical groups, research centers) can organize a time to meet with their technological or commercial partners of tomorrow.

Upon registration, TOW participants will be invited to provide their profile and availability via an online form. A booking system to arrange meetings will be available to all participants at the end of November.

TOW: BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER

In addition to meetings between the scientific and economic communities, TOW will also include events involving the general public. These will aim to both raise awareness of the progress made in the fight against cancer in terms of research and technologies, and to raise money.

A session with the general public organized by Toulouse Métropole

World Cancer Day 2016 is on Thursday February 4. On this day, a free session will be held between 6pm and 8pm in which health professionals will meet with the general public for discussions aimed at increasing awareness of the advances made in research and technological innovations which will help in the future fight against cancer.

Two charitable events with profits donated to the Toulouse Cancer Health Foundation

• A sports event will be held from 2 to 6 February 2016.
• TOW will finish in a festive atmosphere on Sunday February 7 with a concert given by Toulouse Con Tour (with Art Mengo, Magyd Chérif de Zebda and Yvan Cujious), beginning at 5pm in the Halle aux Grains. A portion of the profits will be donated to the Toulouse Cancer Health Foundation.