What Intergroupe Francophone Cancerologie Thoracique does

IFCT (Intergroupe Francophone de Canc\u00e9rologie Thoracique) is a French non-profit academic clinical research cooperative group (association loi 1901) founded in 1999, specializing in thoracic oncology. It operates as an academic clinical trial sponsor (promoteur acad\u00e9mique), designing, promoting, and coordinating multi-center clinical and translational studies across a national network of 330 healthcare centers (CHU, CLCC, general hospitals, private centers) and 479 multidisciplinary members spanning 12 specialties. Its mission is to enable access to therapeutic innovation for lung cancer patients through independent academic research published in top-tier journals (Lancet, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Lancet Oncology), with 100% of trial results publicly registered on the EU Clinical Trials Register.

The organization's operational core is a Clinical Research Unit of 23 professionals handling protocol design, regulatory submissions, monitoring, data management, biostatistics, pharmacovigilance, and publication. IFCT maintains a translational research technical platform including immunohistochemistry staining automation, slide scanning, and multi-head microscopy, complemented by 24 certified biological collections comprising 50,983 samples from 4,663 patients across NSCLC, SCLC, and mesothelioma, stored in certified Biological Resource Centers. The product portfolio includes a clinical trials platform, a publications registry, a secure member portal, the E-lettre newsletter, patient education videos, biological resources for collaborative research, an annual training program (Journ\u00e9e IFCT, Journ\u00e9es Alain Depierre, Translational Medicine Day), and a 25,000-euro annual research grant (Prix Alain Depierre).

Revenue derives from three streams: membership dues (35 euros for full members, 20 euros for corresponding members, contributing only a small fraction of funding), public institutional credits (notably INCa labeling renewed in 2022 for four years), and industrial/pharmaceutical research partnerships that fund trials while preserving scientific independence. IFCT is the founding member of the GCO (Groupes Coop\u00e9rateurs en Oncologie) network and maintains formal partnerships with La Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, patient associations (Mon R\u00e9seau Cancer du Poumon, ALK+ ROS1 France), and the COALA network coordinated by CHU Toulouse. As of 2025, Alexis Cortot serves as President, succeeding Virginie Westeel (2019-2025).

Name

Intergroupe Francophone Cancerologie Thoracique

Legal name

Intergroupe Francophone de Cancérologie Thoracique

Website

https://ifct.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IFCT is a French nonprofit academic clinical research cooperative group founded in 1999 that designs, sponsors, and coordinates multi-center thoracic oncology clinical trials across a national network of 330 healthcare centers and 479 multidisciplinary physician members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Thoracic (Lung) Oncology (HLAKAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical Trial Site Operations & Study Coordination (HLAGACAE), Medical Oncology (HLAKAFAB), Lung Cancer Screening & Pulmonary Nodule Clinic (HLAKANAI)

Keywords

• Thoracic oncology research
• Clinical trials management
• Translational cancer research
• Lung cancer studies
• Biobanking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from 479 members: €35 for full (effectif) members and €20 for corresponding (correspondant) members, providing operational funding and member engagement.
2. Public Institutional Funding: Financed by various sources of public credits including INCa (Institut National du Cancer) labeling and other governmental cancer research programs. The organization is strongly committed to conducting independent studies.
3. Industrial/Pharmaceutical Partnerships: Clinical trial funding and support from pharmaceutical and industrial partners through research contracts, while maintaining scientific and financial independence.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IFCT promotes, designs, and conducts independent academic clinical and translational research studies in thoracic oncology across a national network of 330 hospital centers, supported by a 23-person Clinical Research Unit that handles study coordination, regulatory submissions, monitoring, data management, biostatistics, and publication. It provides collaborative access to a biological resource platform (24 collections with 50,983 samples), delivers annual training events and scientific forums, and operates a research grant program (Prix Alain Depierre) for young thoracic oncology investigators.

Product overview

IFCT (Intergroupe Francophone de Cancérologie Thoracique) is a non-profit academic research cooperative group (association loi 1901) established in 1999, specializing in thoracic oncology clinical research. The organization operates as a product/service portfolio rather than a software platform, consisting of: a Clinical Trials Platform providing access to studies across 330 centers, a Publications Registry of scientific outputs, a secure Member Space portal, the E-lettre newsletter, Patient Education Videos, Biological Resources for collaborative research, and a dedicated Clinical Research Unit staffed by 23 professionals. IFCT also delivers Training & Events including the annual IFCT Day, Translational Medicine Day, Alain Depierre Days, and specialized training programs. The organization's research grant program (Prix Alain Depierre, 25,000 euros) supports young researchers in thoracic oncology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IFCT Clinical Trials Program Academic-sponsored multi-center clinical trial program in thoracic oncology for physicians and hospital centers across France, covering protocol design, regulatory submissions, patient recruitment across 330 sites, monitoring, data management, and publication of results in peer-reviewed journals.
• IFCT Clinical Research Unit Services Operational service unit providing design, promotion, and execution of clinical studies in France and internationally, including regulatory submissions, monitoring, data management, biostatistics, quality assurance, and pharmacovigilance for academic sponsors and industrial partners.
• IFCT Biological Resources (Biobank) Collaborative access to IFCT's biological sample biobank for translational research, providing researchers with annotated tumor tissue, blood, and biological samples from NSCLC, SCLC, and mesothelioma patients stored under temperature-controlled, traceable certified CRB conditions.
• IFCT Training & Events Continuing professional education program for thoracic oncology physicians and clinical research staff, featuring annual scientific days, translational medicine forums, dedicated working-group forums (e.g., metastatic and non-metastatic NSCLC), and specialized clinical research training (INVEST, ARTEC-GCO).
• IFCT Research Grant (Prix Alain Depierre) Annual research grant of €25,000 awarded to a young researcher (under 35) conducting clinical or translational research in thoracic oncology, supporting early-career investigators in the French lung cancer research community.
• IFCT Membership Annual subscription membership for physicians, pharmacists, scientists, and other professionals active in thoracic oncology, providing voting rights, study participation access, event reimbursements, member portal access, and the electronic newsletter.

Quantifiable outcome

• 63 clinical studies completed or in follow-up; 9 studies actively enrolling as of 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• COALA Network (Cure Oncogene-Addicted Lung Cancer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024COALA is a nationwide research network coordinated by CHU Toulouse (Pr Julien Mazières) and supported by IFCT. Selected by INCa's 2024 call for candidacy to improve prognosis of lung cancers with specific genetic alterations. Includes 15 research teams across France with 6 work packages spanning resistance mechanisms, immunotherapy, AI, and early-stage research over 5 years.
• Association ALK+ ROS1 FrancesecondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Patient association for patients with ALK or ROS1 rearranged lung cancer (1-5% of NSCLC). IFCT partners on joint events including Trek Solid'Air, Urban Trail, and patient education. The association supports patient referrals to specialized physicians and advocates for access to targeted therapies.
• CHU de ToulousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CHU Toulouse coordinates the COALA network (Pr Julien Mazières), of which IFCT is a key supporting partner. The collaboration aims to develop innovative research strategies for oncogene-addicted lung cancers over a 5-year period.
• Mon Réseau Cancer du Poumon (Patients en Réseau)secondaryGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2017Patient association launched in 2017 with over 3,000 registered patients and relatives. IFCT partners on patient education videos, shared events (Urban Trail), and patient advocacy. The association has a committee dedicated to Access and Innovations submitting contributions to HAS transparency commission.
• INCa - Institut National du CancercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012IFCT has been labeled since 2012 (renewed 2022 for 4 years) as an 'Intergroupe coopérateur français de dimension internationale dans le domaine de la recherche clinique sur le cancer.' INCa provides institutional recognition and partial funding. IFCT participated in an INCa expert group for molecular testing indications in NSCLC.
• La Ligue Nationale contre le CancercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Since 2011, patient information sheets for all IFCT clinical trials are reviewed by the Patient Committee of the Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer. A partnership convention was signed in late 2022 to promote joint actions in service of cancer patients. The Ligue coordinates a patient review committee with over 80 active patient members.
• Comité de Patients pour la Recherche Clinique en Cancérologie (Ligue contre le Cancer)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Over 80 active patient or caregiver members reviewing patient information sheets and consent forms for all IFCT clinical trials before enrollment, ensuring ethical and understandable patient communication.
• GCO - Groupes Coopérateurs en OncologiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999IFCT is the founding member (membre fondateur) of the GCO network, a national cooperative oncology groups network. The GCO coordinates multi-group clinical trials and publishes aggregate annual reports covering all member groups. GCO-001 NIPINEC, GCO-003 TARLANEC, and GCO-001 NIPINEC are multi-organ group studies involving IFCT.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EORTC: European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer is the largest European academic clinical cancer research cooperative, running multi-center trials across Europe with its own operational infrastructure — the closest international analog to IFCT.
• NRG Oncology: US NCI-sponsored cooperative group conducting cancer clinical trials across multiple disease sites including thoracic — analogous academic sponsor model with national site network.
• UNICANCER: Federation of the 18 French Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer (CLCC) and a cooperative group sponsor running academic clinical trials in oncology; directly comparable French academic research model.
• Groupes Coopérateurs en Oncologie (GCO): French national cooperative oncology groups network of which IFCT is a founding member; coordinates multi-group trials across organ specialties with a shared publications and operations infrastructure.
• Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG): National cooperative oncology trials group based in Canada conducting Phase I-III trials with national site network — structurally comparable to IFCT's model.
• Breast International Group (BIG): International non-profit academic research organization coordinating breast cancer clinical trials across global networks — directly analogous structure to IFCT but focused on breast cancer with international scope.
• Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology: US NCI-funded cooperative group running multi-center oncology clinical trials with a similar academic sponsor model and multidisciplinary site network; comparable organizational and operational structure.

Peers

• European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IFCTlung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifct

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Intergroupe Francophone Cancerologie Thoracique