The main challenge for academics in the commercialization of important new discoveries is the technological development gap: the phase between inventions at an early stage and the stage that innovative technologies must reach to become viable and attractive candidates for licensing and commercialization.
For high risk/high value products or for products with low commercial profitability, it is often necessary nowadays to bring discoveries one step further to ensure their transfer to industry or to attract venture capitalists.
The newly created Development of Innovation Office seeks to bridge the gap to achieve this goal, through an industrialization process that involves:
- Setting up a development strategy for these projects in a sustainable manner with a visibility of 5 to 7 years
- Ensuring complementary scientific developments necessary for technology transfer
- Providing opportunities for scientists wishing to develop applications for their research
- Fostering the creation of startups
- Adapting organizational aspects to achieve this objective without in any way reducing the basic research that was the source of the emerging disruptive technology
Innovation Accelerator programs
A new organizational structure is in place to better support our scientists and their Research & Development partners. In particular, this will help identify and structure partnerships, target internal seed funding to support the maturation of certain projects, and facilitate access to external funding, notably through collaboration with public/private partnerships.
Diagnostics
François Rieunier,
Head of Diagnostic Innovation Development
François Rieunier joined the Technology Transfer and Industrial Partnership Department in 2023 as Head of Dianostic Innovation Development.
After a PhD from the University of Montpellier, in Chemistry applied to Biology, François joined the Biological Development team at Sanofi Diagnostic Pasteur in Marnes la Coquette.
He participated in the development of several human diagnostic tests for the detection of viral pathologies mainly related to HIV (AIDS) and HCV (hepatitis).
He then held various positions within the Bio-Rad company for the development and production of biologicals for human and veterinary diagnostic kits.
During more than 25 years dedicated to diagnostics he developed numerous collaborations with academic partners and private institutions.
The work carried out during this period has also been the subject of patents in the fields of virology, cardiology and diabetes.
Therapeutics
Michel Perez,
Head of the Development of Innovation Office
Dr. Perez PhD joined the Institut Pasteur in 2019 as Head of the Development of Innovation Office and Head of Therapeutic Innovation Development. In this role, he oversees the institute’s most advanced therapeutic projects and helps turn them into valuable assets for pharmaceutical development. He is also involved in earlier projects aimed at addressing breakthrough innovations in fields such as rare diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and gene therapy.
Prior to this position, he was a Senior Director in the French pharmaceutical company Pierre Fabre in charge of pre-clinical research programs. Dr. Perez spent more than 25 years in the pharma industry, from research to pre-clinical development, in fields such as oncology, the cardiovascular system, and the central nervous system. During that period, he had the opportunity to work on numerous projects focusing on small molecules, antibodies or conjugates. He also led multiple collaborations with academic institutions such as the CNRS and Universities, and also with biotechs and startups.
Before joining Pierre Fabre, Dr. Perez worked as scientist at the Eisai Research Institute in the Boston area. He is the co-author of numerous articles and patents and has received two awards during his career.
Vaccines
Dr. Sotiris Missailidis
Head of Vaccine Innovation Development
Sotiris is managing the vaccine portfolio of the Institute Pasteur and leading the Innovation development of vaccine projects from basic research to clinical development, spin-off activities and industrial partnerships for vaccine-related projects. Sotiris joined the Institute Pasteur in 2024, having previously led for seven years, as a Director of Technological Development and Innovation, the Research, Development and Innovation of vaccines, biologics and diagnostics at Bio-Manguinhos Institute of Technology in Immunobiologics at the Fiocruz Foundation in Brazil.
Sotiris brings 30 years of experience in applied research focused on the development of vaccines, therapeutic and diagnostic applications. He is a trained Biologist, with MSc and DPhil in Chemistry from the University of York and post-doctoral studies in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Nottingham) and Molecular biology (Cambridge) in the UK. He was an academic at the Open University, UK, visiting professor at the Universities of Lisbon (Portugal) and Paris (France), as well as UFRJ and UERJ in Brazil and EACR fellow at the University of Patras (Greece). He was founder and director of Euzoia Ltd (UK) and Naxos DNA Services (Brazil) and Senior Researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC) and Bio-Manguinhos at Fiocruz.
Technologie/Therapeutique
Nicolas Mouz,
Head of Technology Innovation Development
Nicolas joined Pasteur Institute at the end of 2024 as Head of Technology Innovation Development. He is in charge of identifying, supporting and supervising technology projects with high value-added potential. He also contributes to the development of therapeutic projects involving biologics.
Nicolas previously held a number of positions at the pharmaceutical company Sanofi, including Head of Antibody Discovery, where he managed the development of an innovative, high-performance platform for the generation of therapeutic antibodies.
Before joining Sanofi, Nicolas was co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of PX'Therapeutics (Protein'eXpert), a biotech company specializing in therapeutic protein engineering and the bioproduction of GMP batches for clinical trials. During this period, he participated in the development of numerous therapeutic projects from biotech companies, start-ups and academic institutions.
Nicolas began his career in a CNRS research unit at Grenoble's Institut de Biologie Structurale, and holds a PhD in biochemistry and structural biology, the subject of which was bacterial resistance to antibiotics.