Severe asthma affects 3 to 6% of asthma patients, and despite recent therapeutic advances, many unmet needs remain and require further research. Designated as an F-CRIN network of excellence since 2018, CRISALIS is the French clinical research network dedicated to severe asthma. It relies on collaborations between clinicians and researchers specializing in severe asthma to facilitate this research and thereby improve patient care.
CRISALIS, the clinical research network dedicated to severe asthma
CRISALIS (Clinical Research Initiative in Severe Asthma: a Lever for Innovation & Science) is a dynamic French clinical research network composed of centers bringing together expert professionals in severe asthma. It works to bring national and international projects in the field of severe asthma to fruition, as well as to build a strong regional network among the various stakeholders involved in patient care.
The network aims to foster the development of academic and industrial research projects in order toimprove diagnosis andtreatment strategies and toincrease the international visibility of French research in the field of severe asthma.
CRISALIS positions itself as a one-stop shop for clinical research on severe asthma in France by supporting project leaders in setting up their studies and by centralizing information related to trials conducted at French expert centers. This information is shared with all network members and partners, thereby providing them with greater visibility and better access to national clinical trials.
Organization
Founded in 2018 by Professors Alain Didier (Toulouse University Hospital) and Antoine Magnan (Foch Hospital, Suresnes), the CRISALIS network is currently coordinated by Professors Camille Taillé (pulmonologist at Bichat Hospital, Paris) and Gilles Devouassoux (pulmonologist at Croix Rousse Hospital, Lyon).
The network’s activities are led by:
- an executive board composed of the two coordinators and two project managers who work daily to organize and facilitate the network’s operations,
- a steering committee that brings together the lead experts from each member center and meets once a year to define the network’s strategic objectives,
- An independent scientific committee that meets once every 4 years to evaluate the network’s activities and define future strategic directions.
Comprising 16 expert member centers and more than 25 partner research centers, the CRISALIS network operates throughout mainland France and in several overseas territories.
Cartographie du réseau CRISALIS
Scientific Expertise
The network operates in various fields of expertise and offers a range of services to investigators and sponsors of clinical trials.
Expertise in severe asthma research
- Imaging
- Biology
- Epidemiology
- Comorbidities
- Biomarkers, new therapeutic targets
- Environmental impact and societal consequences
Clinical Research Expertise
- Compliance with Good Clinical Practice
- Experience as affiliated centers or sponsors: single-center/multicenter, multinational, randomized, controlled trials
- Operational support for clinical research teams at the centers
- Experience with various types of studies: proof of concept, new drug, therapeutic repositioning, therapeutic strategy, pharmacoepidemiology, …
- Contribution to the establishment of registries and biobanks
Completed Projects
Each year, the network contributes to tangible advances in clinical research, with several studies completed. Here are a few examples:
An initiative led by Prof. Laurent Guilleminault, CRISALIS coordinator at Toulouse University Hospital
Epidemiological study based on health data (SNDS, CépiDC)
Objective: To describe the characteristics, care pathways, and therapeutic management of asthma patients who died from asthma in France between 2013 and 2017
Sponsor: Toulouse University Hospital
Publications: clinical publication, health economics publication
Initiated by Prof. Alain Didier, CRISALIS co-principal investigator at Toulouse University Hospital
Prospective study based on survey data
Objective: To evaluate the care pathway and quality of life of patients with severe asthma in France based on their phenotype
Sponsor: Toulouse University Hospital
31 participating centers, including the 16 CRISALIS member centers and 8 partner centers
Initiated by Prof. Cécile Chenivesse, CRISALIS coordinator at Lille University Hospital
Observational questionnaire-based study
Objective: To identify factors associated with changes in presenteeism during biologic therapy in severe asthma
Sponsor: Lille University Hospital
15 participating centers, including 10 CRISALIS member centers and 2 CRISALIS partner centers
Current Projects
The network is currently involved in several multicenter studies aimed at advancing knowledge and clinical practice, including:
On the initiative of Prof. Camille Taillé, CRISALIS liaison at Bichat Hospital (Paris) and network coordinator
Cohort / National Prospective Registry of Adults with Severe Asthma
Objective: To obtain longitudinal data enabling studies on patient characteristics, treatment modalities, and associated benefits and/or risks
Sponsor: AP-HP
40 participating centers, including 14 member centers and 14 CRISALIS partner centers
Recruitment completed; patient follow-up ongoing through September 2026
A multinational study initiated by Prof. Charles Pilette (UCL Louvain, Belgium) and co-managed by France at the initiative of Prof. Arnaud Bourdin (CRISALIS coordinator at Montpellier University Hospital) and Prof. Gilles Devouassoux (CRISALIS coordinator at the Hospices Civils de Lyon)
Phase IV, multinational, open-label, randomized, controlled study
Objective: To compare the response to omalizumab and mepolizumab in patients with severe asthma of the allergic and eosinophilic phenotypes
Sponsor: UCL Louvain, Belgium - French Sponsorship Delegation: Hospices Civils de Lyon
14 participating CRISALIS centers in France
Patient recruitment and follow-up completed; data analysis scheduled for the second half of 2026
Randomized Controlled Non-Inferiority Trials
Objective: To demonstrate the non-inferiority of discontinuing biologic therapies (omalizumab in SHORTEN / dupilumab in WIDUSA) compared with continuing them in patients with severe asthma who have been controlled and treated for at least 3 years
WIDUSA
- Initiated by Prof. Laurent Guilleminault, CRISALIS coordinator at Toulouse University Hospital
- Sponsor: Toulouse University Hospital
- 31 participating centers, including 13 member centers and 11 CRISALIS partner centers
SHORTEN
- On the initiative of Prof. Camille Taillé, CRISALIS liaison at Bichat Hospital and network coordinator
- Sponsor: Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris
- 41 participating centers, including 13 member centers and 11 CRISALIS partner centers
Contact the network
Would you like to learn more or contact the network?
Visit their website: https://www.crisalis-network.org/
Or send an email to: contact@crisalis-network.org
Phone:
- 05 61 77 61 34
- 05 61 77 67 05
Partners
CRISALIS has been designated a "network of excellence" by the infrastructure F-CRIN since 2018 and receives operational and financial support from it. The CRISALIS network is overseen by the Toulouse University Hospital and Inserm.
CRISALIS maintains close partnerships and/or collaborative relationships with
- the following scholarly societies / foundations: French-Language Society of Pulmonology, Fondation du Souffle, French Society of Allergology, National Research Coordination Committee, Institut Saint Jacques Toulouse
- of associations: Association for People with Severe Asthma, Asthma and Allergies Association
- from manufacturers: GSK, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Chiesi, ALK, Celltrion, Stallergenes
