Sanofi Appoints Paulo Fontoura as Global Head of Research and Development
Sanofi has named Paulo Fontoura as the new global head of R&D for its pharmaceutical business, effective September 1, 2026.
Sanofi announced on Monday that Paulo Fontoura will join the company as Executive Vice President and Global Head of R&D Pharma. Based in Paris, Fontoura will report to CEO Belén Garijo and join the company's executive committee effective September 1, 2026.
Fontoura previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Xaira Therapeutics and spent over 15 years at Roche, where he led clinical development programs across neuroscience, immunology, and rare diseases. He succeeds Houman Ashrafian, who is departing the firm to pursue other interests.
In his new capacity, Fontoura will oversee Sanofi's end-to-end innovation pipeline, including translational medicine, clinical operations, and regulatory affairs. His appointment comes as Sanofi seeks to integrate artificial intelligence more deeply into its drug discovery processes to accelerate the development of new treatments.
Fontoura, a board-certified neurologist, brings experience from the successful development of more than 60 molecular entities. His primary task will be to refine the company's pipeline and ensure the efficient delivery of new therapies to patients, maintaining Sanofi's market position in immunology and related therapeutic areas.