PRI Board elects new President Sandrine Claus, Executive Committee

The PRI is pleased to announce Dr. Sandrine Claus has been elected Association President (effective 9 January 2023). As President, Sandrine will lead the Executive Committee and Board of Directors within the Association. Since the last update to the PRI Bylaws (Dec 2020), the President as well as the Executive Committee have taken on a more involved role in guiding the Association’s strategic path as well as working closely with the PRI staff, led by Executive Director Magali Cordaillat-Simmons.

A clear regulatory framework is an accelerator for product development. It shows the path to transforming an amazing scientific discovery into a product that will benefit society. The microbiome field is blooming with innovations that have the potential to revolutionize human and animal healthcare. Yet, the lack of clear regulatory guidelines can be intimidating for many to venture on the path towards regulatory approval. The PRI brings together microbiome experts, product developers, and service providers to carve this necessary regulatory path and support Members on this journey. In doing so, the PRI actively contributes to developing the microbiome sector. Therefore, I feel privileged to support the PRI on this mission and to succeed Bruno Pot as the new President. Bruno has brilliantly led the PRI for the last 8 years. The strong and efficient working relationship he forged with Magali Cordaillat-Simmons, Executive Director, has been decisive in shaping the Association and making it successful. I am thus delighted that he will remain a part of the Executive Committee as 1st Vice-President. I am also extremely pleased that this newly elected Executive Committee is complemented by these equally-talented individuals: Michelle Carr, Stanislas Desjonquères, and Françoise Le Vacon.  Together, we are committed to collectively building on our experience to support Magali and her team. I am confident that this synergy will guide our actions to further develop the Association, successfully tackle future challenges, and ultimately continue to thrive in serving the PRI Members.

Sandrine Claus, YSOPIA Bioscience & Microbiome CS

Newly-elected Executive Committee to continue the PRI Vision & Strategy (2021-2025) Roadmap

Following last month’s General Assembly (1 Dec. 2022 in Rotterdam, NL) when the PRI Membership elected the new Board of Directors for the 2022-2024 Term, one of the Board’s first steps was electing its 5-Member Executive Committee. Joining Sandrine at the head of Europe’s Microbiome Regulatory Science Center are former President (now 1st Vice-President) Bruno Pot, Science Director for Yakult Europe, 2nd Vice-President Michelle Carr, Growth Senior Project Manager for Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Secretary Françoise Le Vacon, CSO for Biofortis, and Treasurer Stanislas Desjonquères, CEO for Nexbiome Therapeutics, and Founder of the PRI.

The Executive Committee is at the heart of the Association’s work as they set the operational agenda and summon Board of Directors meetings. They play a primary role in the pursuit of the Association’s objectives and strategic decisions in close collaboration with the PRI Executive Director and her Staff.

Newly-elected Board members Michelle Carr and Françoise Le Vacon are exciting editions to the Executive Committee, as they bring diverse experience to the efforts bridging the past to the future of the Association’s work.

Working in transformational fields such as the microbiome is both exciting and a privilege.  The PRI team has worked diligently to build awareness and knowledge of the microbiome and its regulatory science which is essential in enabling potentially life-changing products for patients to be realised. I am honoured to have been elected to the PRI Executive Committee and along with my peers, I look forward to leveraging my strategic and commercial experience to support Magali and the PRI team in this industry-critical mission.

Michelle Carr, Ferring Pharmaceuticals

As CSO of Biofortis, and having been involved for more than fifteen years in the microbiome field, this election is a real opportunity to demonstrate, once again, my commitment to overcoming barriers. Using our CRO and Microbiome Centre approach, I aim to bring new ideas for the development of MMPs and particularly for easier access to biological samples and new clinical designs. With our expertise in Microbiome and biomarker analysis, I will be able to focus specifically on the development of new tools and standardization projects.

Françoise Le Vacon, Biofortis SAS

Special thanks to Stanislas Desjonquères and Bruno Pot for their continued committment to the organization

Stanislas Desjonquères will continue to serve as the Association’s Treasurer, which represents stability for the organization during this next phase of important work.

Stanislas is the PRI’s Founder and has served since its creation in 2010 as the Association Treasurer. His vision and committment to this organization is unwavering – the PRI Staff continue to count on his strategic guidance, as well as his love of numbers!

Since the PRI’s creation, we have always sought a delicate balance, weighing our pre-competitive approach with the drive to continuously create value for our Members. I am confident in the PRI’s future, as this newly-formed Executive Committee represents stability and expertise at the service of the Association’s purpose: making microbiome-based medicinal products and diagnostics a reality for patients. Thanks to Sandrine’s commitment and scientific bona fides, the PRI’s future is in good hands.

Stanislas Desjonquères, Nexbiome Therapeutics

The PRI Staff would also like to thank whole-heartedly the dedication and comittment of Bruno Pot, who has served the PRI as President for the last 8 years. His guidance and vision for the field as well as his ardent defense of the Share & Learn approach has been a key factor in the PRI’s recent milestones.
As past President of the PRI, in the spirit of our atypical “Share & Learn” approach, it is my deepest pleasure to share past experiences with the new Executive Committee members, whenever the need arises. At the same time I welcome the “new blood” in the Committee, to initiate and realise new ideas and initiatives, necessary in a field of science that is changing rapidly and profoundly. The “regulatory science” might not match the speed of the “scientific achievements” yet, but the intention clearly is to cover the gap quickly and harmonise both, to the benefit of all – industry, regulator, government, health care professional, patient…

Bruno Pot, Yakult Europe