Sanofi has named Paulo Fontoura as its new Executive Vice President and Global Head of Pharma Research & Development, effective September 1, 2026. The appointment is a key move by new CEO Belén Garijo, aimed at boosting the company's R&D productivity following recent pipeline setbacks. Fontoura will succeed Houman Ashrafian, who is leaving to pursue an external opportunity.
Fontoura joins Sanofi from the AI-biotech firm Xaira Therapeutics, where he was Chief Medical Officer. He previously spent over 15 years at Roche, holding senior roles including Global Head of Clinical Development across several key therapeutic areas. During his time at Roche, he was instrumental in the development of more than 60 new molecular entities, leading to over 20 approvals from the FDA and EMA. He will be based in Paris and will report directly to CEO Belén Garijo.