The Rhône-Alpes region has undeniable advantages:
 | International-scale companies, leaders in their sector (Aventis Pasteur, Aventis Pasteur MSD, BioMérieux, Merial, Synbiotics), with a large production capacity: 39.5% of the 19,000 people working for these companies are based in the region and these firms, together, achieve a turnover of 4.5 billion euros. Thus, Rhône-Alpes is the leading region worldwide for the production of vaccines.
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| The Virology and Immunology Research and Study Center (CERVI), with around 150 researchers, which is affiliated to the Jean Mérieux P4laboratory.
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| The Armed Forces Health Division Research Center, with its transmissible agent biology department.
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| Renowned international organizations: |
o Fondation Mérieux,
o the WHO epidemic monitoring and alert center,
o more recently The Vaccine Fund.
