CRISALIS : "Clinical Research Initiative in Severe Asthma : a Lever for Innovation & Science"
What is CRISALIS?
Severe asthma is a rare and severe form of asthma (3% to 6% of asthma) that has a strong impact on patients' quality of life and is responsible in France for approximately 60,000 days of hospitalization (2015 Santé Publique France data) and nearly 900 deaths/year, 20% of which occur in patients under 65 years of age [1,2]. The unmet therapeutic needs in severe asthma are therefore major and clinical research on this subject is highly justified.
CRISALIS (Clinical Research Initiative in Severe Asthma: a Lever for Innovation & Science) is a national network for clinical investigation of severe asthma, based on pre-existing collaborations between French severe asthma professionals, clinicians and researchers.
Co-coordinated at its creation by Prof. Alain Didier (Toulouse Hospital) and Prof. Antoine Magnan (Nantes Hospital, now Foch Hospital, Suresnes), the CRISALIS network was labeled as "thematic network of excellence" in January 2018 by the F-CRIN Infrastructure, after an evaluation by an international scientific committee based on criteria of scientific and operational excellence.
From January 2022, Prof. Gilles Devouassoux (HCL, Croix Rousse) and Prof. Laurent Guilleminault (Toulouse Hospital) succeeded Prof. Didier and Prof. Magnan as co-coordinators of the CRISALIS network.
Since January 30, 2026, Prof. Camille Taillé succeeded Prof. Laurent Guilleminault and co-coordinates the network alongside Prof. Devouassoux.
Pr Gilles Devouassoux
Co-coordinator of the CRISALIS network
Head of the Pneumology Department, Croix-Rousse hospital, Lyon
Pr Camille Taillé
Co-coordinator of the CRISALIS network
Pulmonologist, AP-HP Bichat hospital, Paris
Strengths of the CRISALIS network
Objectives of the CRISALIS network
- To develop and conduct large-scale clinical trials (multicenter, national and European) with the aim of setting up and evaluating innovative treatments in the management and treatment of severe asthma.
- To strengthen the links between the different partners of the network in order to increase the research dynamic.
- To harmonize professional practices in clinical research in asthma.
- To contribute to the information and training of the actors of clinical research in severe asthma.
- To constitute a privileged point of contact for all the actors of research in severe asthma and to offer them an operational support for all the objectives to be reached.
- To create a strong link with patient associations to keep them informed of the progress of current protocols and to be as close as possible to patients' concerns.
Coordination and governance of the CRISALIS network
The governance of the network is organized around several internal bodies, each interconnected, allowing to :
- Regularly monitor the progress of the network's structuring and project management actions (Executive Board),
- Establish an annual assessment of the network's activity, suggest a projection for N+1 on the basis of the year N and collegial proposals / discussions (Steering Committee),
- Evaluate annually the network's activity in terms of indicators and achievement of objectives, make recommendations and identify areas for improvement (independent Scientific Committee).
Composition: co-coordinators, network clinical project managers
Frequency / Modalities of meetings: weekly, visioconference
Role: to coordinate and regularly monitor the progress of
- actions implemented in response to requests received from a- investigator members, b- promoters (academic, industrial),
- research projects of the network,
- actions of structuring/animation of the network in accordance with the fixed objectives
Composition: co-coordinators, network clinical project managers, member center referents
Frequency / Modalities of meetings: yearly, on the sidelines of the CPLF Congress
Role: to establish an annual assessment of the network's activity, a strategy, an action plan and objectives for year N+1 at least
Missions to be developed in terms of structuring, operation of the network, proposals for future research projects and response to calls for projects, training, events, and harmonization of practices
Composition: international scientific experts in severe asthma whose fields of expertise cover the network's research themes.
Frequency / Modalities of meetings: four-yearly, on the sidelines of the ERS Congress
Role: evaluating the network's activity in terms of response and attainment of objectives and strategy, providing an annual evaluation report and establishing recommendations and proposals for improvement
CRISALIS centers
16 Member centres
- 2018 - 11 University Hospital Centers ("CHU") joined CRISALIS at its creation: Toulouse, Nantes, Paris (APHP Bichat and Kremlin-Bicêtre), Lille, Strasbourg, Dijon, Lyon (HCL Croix-Rousse), Marseille (APHM Nord), Montpellier, Bordeaux
- 2019 - Integration of Grenoble CHU
- 2020 - Integration of Foch Suresnes hospital
- 2021 - Integration of Besançon and Reims CHU
- 2022 - Integration of Pointe-à-Pitre CHU (Guadeloupe)
You can find contact details for each member center on the dynamic map.
25 Partner centres
CRISALIS also includes partner centres: hospital centres, clinics, liberal pneumologists... benefiting from a priviledged access to CRISALIS studies
- 15 Hospital Centres ("CH") : Roubaix, Versailles, Caen, Le Mans, Angers, Tours, Libourne, Côte-Basque, Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes, Puy-en-Velay, Annecy-Genevois, Métropole-Savoie, La Réunion, French Polynesia,
- 2 Intercommunal Hospital Centres ("CHI") : Créteil and Vallées de l'Ariège,
- 6 Hospitals : Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris, North-West in Villefranche-sur-Saône, GHICL Saint Vincent de Paul in Lille, GHI Le Raincy Montfermeil, Armand Brillard private hospital in Nogent-sur-Marne, HNIA Percy in Clamart,
- 2 Clinics : Clinique Teissier in Valenciennes, Clinique de l'Archette in Olivet
Research themes and working groups of the CRISALIS network
Historically, the research work of the network was structured around 5 working groups (WG) and 5 task forces on transversal themes (TF). In 2024, it was decided to change this distribution to create 3 new broader groups.
To learn more
1- Raherison C et al. Asthma prevalence and management in adults in France in 2018: ASTHMAPOP survey. ERS 2019, Late Breaking Abstract.
2- Raherison C et al. Updated guidelines (2015) for management and monitoring of adult and adolescent asthmatic patients (from 12 years and older). Revue des Maladies Respiratoires, 2016 Avr ;33(4):279‑325. doi: 10.1016/j.rmr.2016.03.002.
