Profile: Katherine Bowdish, Sanofi’s Early Science Investment Scout

Katherine Bowdish, vice president of global R&D at Sanofi and leader of Sunrise, the French big pharma's early-stage investment arm, talks to Scrip about living vicariously through biotech companies whilst having the power and backing of a pharma major to advance important, innovative science.

Rollercoaster — Riding the early science rollercoaster is not for the fainthearted • Source: Shutterstock

Katherine Bowdish, the founder of an immune-oncology company over a decade ago that was forced to shelve research due to lack of interest and buy-in from investors at the time, talks about Sanofi's early investment initiative, Sunrise. In the latest installment of Scrip's executive profile series, she highlights the importance of pharma collaboration with early science designed to accelerate not impede development.

Bowdish joined Sanofi in February 2013 to launch Sunrise, an investment initiative for the big pharma based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and focused on early-stage R&D

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Scrip for daily insights

Start your 7-day free trial
Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
Access comprehensive global coverage
Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

‘Market Developments’ Persuade Galapagos To Rethink Spin-Off

13 May 2025

• By Andrew McConaghie

CEO Paul Stoffels exits early to be succeeded by Henry Gosebruch, who will now consider ‘all options’ for the Belgian firm as it tries to claw back investor confidence.

Azafaros Banks Over €130m To Advance Nizubaglustat Into Phase III

13 May 2025

• By Kevin Grogan

The therapy has been developed for GM1 and GM2 gangliosidoses and Niemann-Pick disease type C.

Biopharma Deals ROI Has Fallen And Market Instability Could Make It Worse

12 May 2025

• By Andrew McConaghie

Rising biotech valuations mean return on investment on some deals is non-existent for big pharma, though certain strategies will improve chances of success, a new analysis has found.

Sanofi R&D Head’s Words Of Wisdom For Biotechs

08 May 2025

• By Kevin Grogan

Houman Ashrafian tells delegates at Swiss Biotech Day that ‘literally only two things matter in our industry – target credentialing and differentiated pharmacology. The rest is execution.’

Most Favored Nation Policy ‘Lazy, Misguided,’ But US Price Reforms Politically ‘Inevitable’

15 May 2025

• By Cathy Kelly

Policy experts and pharma executives react to President Trump’s executive order on “equalizing” drug prices between the US and comparable nations at the ISPOR 2025 conference.