On July 18, 2022, Sylvie Retailleau, the French Minister for Higher Education and Research, announced an unprecedented effort in psychiatry research, providing 80 million euros over five years for the PROPSY program (exploratory research program in precision psychiatry) run by Inserm and CNRS as part of the priority research programs and equipment (PEPR). With this ambitious research program focusing on four of the most incapacitating psychiatric disorders, Inserm and CNRS aim to develop precision psychiatry to revolutionize the diagnosis of these disorders and patient care.
Jointly led by Inserm and CNRS, the project will be supported by partners with recognized and complementary skills, including the Fondation FondaMental, CEA, Sorbonne University, the University of Bordeaux, the University of Lille, the University of Paris and the University of Paris Est Créteil.
Psychiatric illness is a major public health issue. 20% of French people suffer from them on a daily basis, and very often their loved ones too. These illnesses begin early in life, often striking young adults, and are sadly associated with a 10-20 year reduction in life expectancy. Diagnosis can take a long time, and there are often few therapeutic options, with disabling side-effects. Added to this is a considerable socio-economic impact. Recent estimates put the direct and indirect costs at €160 billion in 2019, or over 5% of GDP.
Faced with these two facts, it seemed imperative to better coordinate all French research forces in psychiatry, and to increase the continuum between research and care: this is the aim of the PROPSY project led by Inserm and CNRS, which has just been selected for funding of 80 million euros over five years.
Focusing on four of the most disabling disorders – bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders – this exploratory PEPR opens up the field of precision medicine in psychiatry.
This will enable us to provide the best treatment for each patient. To achieve this ambition, the challenges are many :
- Gain a better understanding of the causes and mechanisms behind mental pathologies ;
- Discover prognostic markers for these disorders and identify homogeneous patient subgroups ;
- Develop targeted therapeutic strategies ranging from e-health to immunomodulators, brain stimulation and biotherapies;
- Reduce stigmatization and misrepresentation ;
- Support the development of a French biomedical sector in mental health, including pharma, medtech and digital, through public-private partnerships ;
- Create a new generation of scientists and caregivers in psychiatry by renewing the approach to these illnesses and through training initiatives.
Selected as part of the call for priority research programs and equipment, PROPSY includes funding for projects already identified, such as the longitudinal cohort entitled “French Minds”, made up of 3,000 adult patients who will be comprehensively evaluated in clinical, behavioral and environmental terms, and using digital tools, biological markers and brain imaging, as well as open calls.
“We are proud that our research program has been selected by the French government,” say Gilles Bloch, CEO of Inserm, and Marion Leboyer, Inserm Grand Prix 2021, Executive Director of the Fondation FondaMental and scientific leader of the project. “At a time when mental health has worsened as a result of the health crisis (30% increase in depression), this is an extremely important decision, and one that brings hope to millions of patients and their families, as well as to researchers and caregivers.”
“PEPR PROPSY combines the strengths of research and care to provide better support for patients, in response to the public health challenges posed by psychiatric disorders,” adds Antoine Petit, Chairman and CEO of CNRS.