Overview

Genfit SA was founded in 1999. The company aims to strike pharmaceutical partnerships to identify, characterize and validate new therapeutic targets through better understanding of the function and regulation of genes associated with several diseases, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, allergies and inflammatory diseases.

Genfit combines academic research with an integrated technology platform using the techniques of functional genomics, pharmacogenomics, bioinformatics, proteomics and drug design. Genfit hopes this will give it a competitive advantage in terms of the number of new compounds it identifies and the speed at which it does so.

Its core lab has capabilities in cloning and sequencing; gene regulation and functional genomics; transgenic and knockout animals; synthesis and dosage and purification of peptides and recombinant proteins; proteomics; medicinal chemistry and drug design; and bioinformatics.

In June 2001, the company moved into its new 5,200-square-meter laboratory facility from its leased premises at the Eurasanté business park outside Lille and leased laboratory space from its academic partners, the University of Lille and the Institut Pasteur, of Lille.

Partners

Industrial partners include Aventis SA, Sanofi-Synthélabo, Merck- Lipha SA, UCB Pharma and two unnamed partners. Genfit also is part of the National French Genopole Network.