The French National Cancer Institute (INCa) was established under the French Public Health Act of August 9, 2004, as the State health and science agency specialised in cancer control.
INCa is a Public Interest Group (GIP) and operates under the dual supervision of the French Ministry of Health and Solidarities and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
The Institute provides an integrated approach encompassing all cancer-control aspects (health, scientific, social and economic) and intervention areas (prevention, screening, care and research) to catalyse progress and, thus, to benefit patients and their relatives.
Main French cancer research funder, INCa’s strategic goals in research and promoting access to innovation are:
To propose adapted programmes for cancer research projects funding and cancer research structuring to support emerging and strategic research fields (biology, translational, clinical and human and social sciences-epidemiology-public health);
To spur translation of fundamental discoveries into policy and practices for the patients’ benefit;
To increase biological and clinical resources for researchers;
To promote clinical research, particularly, new molecular-driven trials tailored to targeted therapies and more broadly to innovations in drugs or technologies;
To ensure that research drives improvements;
To enhance training in cancer research.
Through its missions in leading and coordinating the cancer research actions and the stakeholders, INCa aims to accelerate the innovation transfer for patients benefit.