On Tuesday 17 June, we laid the corner stone for our future Foundation of Myology, the first foundation worldwide dedicated to muscle research, in the presence of Jérome Coumet, Mayor of the 13th arrondissement of Paris and Chairman of SEMAPA, Lamia El Aaraje, Deputy Mayor of Paris responsible for urban planning, architecture of Greater Paris, universal accessibility and people with disabilities, Fabrice Chrétien, Director of Scientific Strategy at the Fondation de Myologie, Pierre Lara, Chairman of CARAC and Laurence Tiennot-Herment, President of AFM-Téléthon and the Institute of Myology.
The ambition of the future Foundation of Myology is to expand knowledge of muscle, from fundamental research to clinical application, by widening the scope to include healthy, trained, injured and ageing muscle.
In addition to research, the Foundation aims to promote the existence, recognition and development of myology as a cross-disciplinary field and muscle as a preventive health tool. It also aims to pave the way for major scientific discoveries in a particularly dynamic field of research, and to lead rapidly to new diagnostic methods, the discovery of biomarkers and breakthrough therapeutic approaches.
“When the Institut de Myologie, a centre of expertise dedicated to muscle and muscle diseases, was set up in 1996, the ambition was to ultimately create a Foundation of Myology. Thanks to the work on diseased muscle, driven and supported by our association, by the Institute of Myology and by other scientific and medical teams throughout France, knowledge has increased enormously. The first innovative treatments for particularly serious muscle diseases and the growing number of trials have made muscle a model organ and a source of many innovations.
This future building, for which we are laying the first stone, embodies our desire to give a new dimension to myology with a Foundation dedicated to muscle in all its forms, by attracting the best national and international expertise and stimulating innovation, in particular via cutting-edge platforms and the creation of start-ups capable of transforming research into solutions”, emphasises Laurence Tiennot-Herment, President of AFM-Téléthon and the Institute of Myology.
The Foundation of Myology will benefit from the support of the Cercle des Bâtisseurs. Represented on the governance of the Foundation, the Cercle des Bâtisseurs will aim to bring together patrons and philanthropists in support of the Foundation and its programmes.
CARAC, a major mutual insurance player, is the pioneering and premium partner of the future Foundation of Myology. On 3 June 2025, CARAC signed a 10-year sponsorship agreement with AFM-Téléthon and the Association Institut de Myologie, becoming a pioneering and premium partner of the first Foundation dedicated to the study of muscle and a founding member of the Cercle des Bâtisseurs.
“By becoming a mutual with a mission, we have given new strength to our historic values. CARAC’s commitment to the future Foundation of Myology is a perfect illustration of our desire to act where our support can make a real difference, for health, research and the future of everyone,” said Pierre Lara, Chairman of CARAC.
“This project perfectly embodies what we want to achieve: long-term savings that take concrete action to promote medical progress, social innovation and solidarity between generations,” added Michel Andignac, Chief Executive Officer of CARAC.
The Foundation of Myology building will be located at the heart of the ZAC Rive gauche development zone in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, between the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital and Austerlitz station. The building, designed by Brunet Saunier & Associés with the assistance of Belval et Parquet Architectes, will cover an area of 10,000 sq m, of which 8,000 sq m will be devoted to scientific activities and almost 700 sq m to teaching.
Work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, with the building being fitted out in the first half of 2028.
Download the media kit (in French)
