Sanofi appoints former Roche exec Paulo Fontoura as global R&D head, eyes AI and dealmaking

Sanofi announced that Paulo Fontoura, who spent 16 years at Roche and most recently worked at AI drug discovery startup Xaira Therapeutics, has become the company’s global head of R&D as of September.

In a recent interview, Fontoura said he plans to leverage artificial intelligence to improve target identification and streamline the drug‑development process, aiming to lower the historically high failure rates in late‑stage trials.

He also indicated that Sanofi will continue to explore strategic partnerships and acquisitions to broaden its pipeline, reflecting a broader industry trend toward collaboration and technology‑driven innovation.