Innovation Medal CNRS for Sylviane Muller

On 10 June 2015, Sylviane Muller, Chair of Therapeutic Immunology at USIAS and Director of Medical Chemistry and Immunopathology unit of the CNRS in Strasbourg has received the CNRS Innovation Medal 2015. This prestigious award recognizes individuals whose outstanding research leads to breakthrough innovations in terms of technological, medical and societal applications. The other awardees 2015 are Jérôme Chevalier, Patrick Maestro, and Jean-Michel Morel.

Sylviane Muller has been head of the Immunopathology and Therapeutic Chemistry unit of the CNRS in Strasbourg since 2001. In this laboratory she and her team discovered the therapeutic effect of peptide P140 on lupus. Lupus is a serious autoimmune disease that affects more than 5 million patients in the world and for which there is no specific treatment. A candidate drug has been developed from P140: Lupuzor. Clinical trials involving 150 patients showed that the administration of the product is well tolerated and that Lupuzor reduces symptoms significantly much more than placebo. An application for marketing authorization is under way.

Sylviane Muller has 26 patents on her name, and is co-founder of two companies, among which ImmuPharma, listed on the London Stock Exchange, which holds the exclusive license to market Lupuzor.

CNRS interview with Sylviane Muller.