Sanofi Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Frank Nestle Departs Following Global R&D Restructuring

On May 8, according to a report by Fierce Biotech, Dr. Frank Nestle, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research at Sanofi, will leave the company. The announcement was made to employees in a statement on May 8 by Dr. Nestle and confirmed to Fierce Biotech by a Sanofi spokesperson.

Frank Nestle's departure is the highest-profile exit announced by Sanofi since the company began its global R&D restructuring last month.

Sanofi has been hinting at a shift from oncology to immunology research since November 2023. CEO Paul Hudson then previewed that the company would strengthen its immunology research.

Sanofi's Strategic Shift Leads to Significant Cuts in Early Oncology Research and Cancellation of Some Collaborative Projects

Sanofi previously disclosed the sale of the Bay Area facility of Amunix, which it acquired in December 2021 for $1 billion, as well as the termination of immuno-oncology research that began with the acquisition of cell therapy biotech company Kiadis.

Sanofi also cut researchers related to the acquisition of the Belgian biotech company Ablynx, which was acquired for 3.9 billion euros in 2018.

Dr. Nestle joined Sanofi in September 2016 as the head of global immunotherapy research and the chief scientific officer for the North American region. Four years later, he was promoted to global head of research and chief scientific officer of the entire company. From April 2021 to October 2022, Nestle served as the chairman of the board of the now-defunct Kiadis. With the "disappearance" of Kiadis, Nestle also left the company.

R&D head Houman Ashrafian said in the statement, "Over the past eight years, Frank has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a steadfast commitment to advancing the development of new drugs. He has built a top-tier research organization at Sanofi and played a key role in driving our 'Play to Win' cultural transformation. We are extremely grateful for Frank's contributions to the R&D organization."

Editorial Responsibility: Liu Li

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