This Breton medical innovation which cannot be marketed in France

A Finistère entrepreneur has invented a product that allows grafts to be better preserved. Unfortunately, he cannot, for the moment, market his innovation in France.

Hemarina. This name may not mean anything to you, but it is that of an innovative company in Finistère. It is even the first to become an ambassador company for organ donation in the department. She received this title on October 17, on the occasion of World Organ and Tissue Donation Day, notes Ouest France.

At the head of the company: Franck Zal. This entrepreneur has developed “HEMO2life”, a technology which makes it possible to improve the quality and conservation time of grafts, from a marine worm from Breton beaches. Thanks to this invention, 600 people have already received kidney transplants, as part of clinical trials. The particularity is certainly the success of the operations (98.3% against 85%).

Marketing in Saudi Arabia

From now on, Franck Zal aims to market his product in France. But he faces administrative difficulties. “We are innovative, we have to navigate this. Except that a patient does not have time to wait,” he laments in the columns of Ouest France. The French cannot therefore have access to it, while the innovation will shortly be marketed in Saudi Arabia.

“The Saudis will be the first to use “HEMO2life” on a large scale, even though it was created here, in Morlaix,” summarizes the entrepreneur, disillusioned. For his file to progress, he must submit a document, the PMCF. This is a large-scale test to re-evaluate the product in order to determine its reimbursement price. Otherwise, “HEMO2life” will not be reimbursed by social security.

Now he is appealing to the state. He wants the product to be able to be used by French hospitals and to transmit the necessary documents “as they go” to the administration.