Premium Beauty News - After having chaired it for more than nine years, you are still close to the European Centre of Dermocosmetology. Among future projects, a scientific conference in Lyon that will be jointly organized with the IFSCC’s World Congress to be held in Paris in 2014.
Alain Huc - That’s right! The work achieved by the CED in recent years has been crucial. In this context, I wish to pay a tribute to Professor Jean Cotte for creating this association and launching the European Days whose success has never wavered. Taking the chair after such a prestigious figure was for me quite a challenge. Nevertheless, we kept the European days going on with as a setting, the Cité Internationale of Lyon that can welcome a very large number of foreign participants. We have also reinforced our ties with the French Society of Cosmetology (SFC). Currently, it is Dominique Bouvier, who accepted to take over the chairmanship of the CED, providing all her dynamism to it.
Christiane MONTASTIER (Société Française de... par ced-lyon
Premium Beauty News – In your opinion, Lyon is the nerve centre for skin research.
Alain Huc - Indeed, I believe that Lyon and its region have developed a recognized expertise in the field of connective tissue and collagen, therefore bringing a specific contribution to the development of French cosmetics. I also express the wish that each region do the same, each of them developing its own specialty, to thus prevent a sterile competition between the various French cosmetic clusters.
Premium Beauty News - You were recently rewarded with the SFC prize for your work on collagen. A story that looks like a real saga?
Alain Huc - This saga, as you call it, is probably familiar to the elders but ignored, at least in its details, by the younger owns.
In the 1960s, the Centre Technique du Cuir decided to create a small research unit on collagen. The director, in charge at the time, Dr. Georges Vallet, believed that to be familiar with the skin, it was necessary to study its basic protein, collagen. Our team then worked with a laboratory of the University led by Daniel Herbage, with applied research being conducted by our team and the more fundamental work by the University. The findings led to the development of processes for the recovery of industrial protein waste and a better understanding of tanning techniques. At the time, the French leather industry was on a declining phase and the management of the Centre Technique du Cuir considered our work to be too theoretical. The very existence of our research team seemed threatened. It was then that luck smiled on us.
On the occasion of the European Dermocosmetology Days that were taking place at that time, we met Mr. Koulbanis, Director of Applied Research at L’Oréal. He told us he had just launched a collagen cream and its sole supplier for this material was German. He then asked our team to develop a collagen solution that could be used for cosmetic purposes. We immediately understood that a promising path of diversification was opening before us. The collagen solution was developed. Production could start and the Gattefossé company was in charge of distribution. Very quickly large quantities were ordered and, because of its statutes, the Centre Technique du Cuir could no longer ensure its production. This led to the creation of a company, the Saduc, in which the directors of the Centre Technique du Cuir and some employees became shareholders.
Laurent SCHUBNEL (Gattefossé) par ced-lyon
Premium Beauty News - In parallel with this cosmetic activity, the pharmaceutical industry also approached you?
Alain Huc - Yes, that’s right! The pharmaceutical industry entrusted us with the development of collagen-based biomaterials. A hemostatic sponge was developed and distributed by the Fournier company in Dijon.
As a result, our team began to work for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries and very much less for the leather industry. It was therefore necessary to part with the Centre Technique du Cuir and create a new company. This was made possible with venture capital. This creation was not easily achieved, as the Saduc was seeing in the new company a potential competitor and as a leading industrialist from the area was seeking to take a blocking minority in the capital. After our team had turned down this offer, a number of bankers from Lyon even stopped assisting us. The daily newspaper, Les Echos, had even headlined at the time: "Will the war for collagen take place in Lyon?"
Viviane JAILLET (Strand Cosmetics Europe) par ced-lyon
Premium Beauty News - And the Parisian bankers were the ones who eventually came to the rescue!
Alain Huc - Absolutely! It’s thanks to Parisian bankers that the Bioetica company was created. It then developed its activities in the fields of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and finally took the name of Coletica. The management was ensured by a directorate headed by a financier, Pierre Devictor. I headed the Research department for fifteen years, Eric Perrier then brilliantly taking over. Daniel Herbage became our scientific advisor and provided us with the support of the Institut de Biologie et de Chimie des Protéines (Institute of Biology and Protein Chemistry). We also successfully worked with the laboratory of skin substitutes from the Edouard Herriot Hospital led by Odile Damour. It was thus possible to work towards the development of a completely reconstructed skin with dermis and epidermis, which will be of great help for cosmetics tests and also allowing the reconstruction of tissues, particularly in the field of severe burns.
After a few years, under shareholders pressure, the pharmaceutical activity had to be abandoned to my great regret. Fortunately, the Saduc, becoming the Symatese company, took up the torch in this area and now produces collagen-based biomaterials that bring medicine and surgery increasingly appreciated therapeutic properties.
Finally, we mustn’t forget the research work conducted on skin by the team of Professor Thivollet and Daniel Schmidt, at the Edouard Herriot Hospital, especially in the field of immunity.
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