Institut Pasteur of Shanghai (IPS), a member institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, announces today the appointment of Prof. Ralf Altmeyer as new director general. This represents a further step to grow IPS’ role as a leading health research institute in China and a global actor in the fight against infectious diseases. Ralf Altmeyer succeeds Vincent Deubel, who was appointed director general of the Institut Pasteur in Cambodia.
Ralf Altmeyer’s broad experience as an infectious disease scientist and leader of Asian R&D joint ventures will be invaluable to IPS in the context of a Chinese healthcare sector in full transformation and expansion. During his career of fifteen years at Institut Pasteur and the Pasteur international network, Ralf Altmeyer held various management positions including the position of CEO of the HKU-Pasteur Research Center in Hong Kong. From 2003 to 2006 Ralf Altmeyer was the architect of a successful restructuring and establishment of the organization’s new strategy. He left Institut Pasteur in 2006 to become the president of CombinatoRx-Singapore, the infectious disease subsidiary of CombinatoRx (NASDAQ:CRXX), established in 2005 in collaboration with Bio*One Capital in Singapore. Ralf Altmeyer left CombinatoRx-Singapore in summer 2009 subsequent to the acquisition of the company by Forma Therapeutics.
"Ralf Altmeyer brings the scientific expertise and international business acumen to further enhance IPS’ research leadership and contribution to public health, in China and throughout the world,” said Prof. LI Jiayang, Vice-President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
IPS is the first legally-independent international institute of CAS. Founded in 2004 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institut Pasteur and the Shanghai Municipal Government, IPS is an independent, non-profit life sciences institute which works closely with Chinese authorities to address public health issues. IPS creates synergies between the Institut Pasteur and CAS networks, leveraging all the assets of Shanghai as one of Asia’s leading business and technology hubs. More than 160 scientists are engaged in a broad range of infectious disease research programs ranging from HIV, Viral Hepatitis B and C, and Respiratory Viruses to virus-induced cancers. IPS plans to grow up to 400 scientists from 2012 onwards, when its phase II development will start.
Prof. Alice Dautry, President of Institut Pasteur noted that: “Ralf Altmeyer’s knowledge of Institut Pasteur and experience in the life science field in Asia makes him the right person to conduct IPS during this crucial time of expansion and global health challenges.”
Prof. Ralf Altmeyer also noted that : “IPS is in an ideal strategic position to conduct research and development in life sciences in China. Our research focuses on infectious diseases that matter in China and in the Asian region. Together with its academic and industry partners, IPS will develop product candidates in the field of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. I will work with Prof. SUN Bing, the co-director of IPS, to tackle these challenges and achieve these goals.”
