On Friday, June 20, the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping, an international equestrian competition organized every year on the Champ-de-Mars, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, opened. Paris Brain Institute was featured at the event, highlighting research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Founded in 2014 by Virginie Couperie-Eiffel with the support of the City of Paris, Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping brings together the best riders in the world for a show jumping competition (CSI) in a convivial atmosphere that celebrates sport, gastronomy, art and music. Beyond these cultural ambitions, the event highlights causes that are essential to society.
They were greeted at the microphone by journalist Jean-Baptiste Marteau, with the support of Nicolas Santi-Weil, CEO of Ami Paris, founder of French Parade and strongly involved with Olivier Goy, ambassador of the Institute.
At the opening dinner of the competition, Stéphanie Debette, Executive Director, Gérard Saillant, President, Jean Todt, founding member, Maria Del Mar Amador, neurologist, and Olivier Goy explained the urgency of finding therapeutic solutions for neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Their comments were supported by the release of the film Havas Play, directed by Tristan Séguéla, which traces the life of Olivier Goy since his diagnosis with ALS.
“Brain health is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Like common pathologies, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, rare diseases such as ALS still resist our understanding, and effective therapies are sorely lacking. It is time to mobilize our strengths and our intelligences to offer solutions to patients affected by a disease that was described more than 150 years ago.” Gérard Saillant, President of Paris Brain Institute.
After recalling the prevalence and characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, studied by two teams from the Institute – DecodALS and Frontlab – Stéphanie Debette unveiled the planned strategy to accelerate discoveries about Charcot’s disease and improve patients’ daily lives.
“There is an urgent need to coordinate research at the international level by pooling resources, methods and expertise. To this end, we have launched CURE-ND-4ALS, a unique scientific alliance that brings together four partners of excellence: Mission Lucidity in Belgium, DZNE in Germany, the UK Dementia Research Institute in the United Kingdom, and Paris Brain Institute in France.” Stéphanie Debette, Managing Director.
This consortium, launched in 2025, will enable clinical trials to be multiplied across Europe by integrating experimental, clinical and translational neurosciences, via a common research strategy. Initiated by the Institut du Cerveau, CURE-ND-4ALS will be financed by donations raised thanks to Olivier Goy, whose unstinting commitment bathed the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping with a lively and striking emotion.
Donations collected during the Longines Paris Eiffel Jumping will be dedicated entirely to Charcot disease research and the CureND-4ALS European consortium.
